NA 

7120 

K24s 


A: 

a: 

0! 

0! 

0! 

1  ! 

7 

6 

0 
4 
6 

1 


o 

cz 


m 
3) 

m 
O 

>■ 
r- 
i — 

CD 
DO 
> 
3D 

-< 
-n 
3> 

O 

l — 
—1 

■< 

Z   - 

;I;;=^ ;: 

-  -  1 z Z  :Z'Z 

-  -     :::::: 

-;:=  =  =  =: 


"_  ij 


:.;:.::::-;-:;::;:;:.: ::;~;Si=-s-.:  ---  -- r    -  ,-z.Z------ 


ornia 

ial 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


(T- 


THE   SIMPLE    HOME 


BY 


CHARLES    KEELER 


PAUL   ELDER   AND    COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS,  SAN    FRANCISCO 


Copyright,  1904 
by  Paul  Elder  and  Company 


The  Tomoye   Press 
San   Francisco 


DEDICATED 

TO    MY   FRIEND   AND   COUNSELOR 

BERNARD    R.   MAYBECK 


839694 


PREFACE 

ALL  the  arts  are  modes  of  expressing  the  One  Ideal ; 
but  the  ideal  must  be  rooted  in  the  soil  of  the  real, 
the  practical,    the    utilitarian.     Thus  it    happens 
that  architecture,  the  most  utilitarian  of  the  arts, 
underlies   all   other   expressions    of  the    ideal  ;    and  of  all 
architecture,   the  designing  of  the  home    brings  the   artist 
into  closest  touch  with  the  life  of  man. 

A  movement  toward  a  simpler,  a  truer,  a  more  vital  art 
expression,  is  now  taking  place  in  California.  It  is  a 
movement  which  involves  painters  and  poets,  composers 
and  sculptors,  and  only  lacks  co-ordination  to  give  it  a  sig- 
nificant influence  upon  modern  life.  One  of  the  first  steps 
in  this  movement,  it  seems  to  me,  should  be  to  introduce 
more  widely  the  thought  of  the  simple  home  —  to  emphasize 
the  gospel  of  the  simple  life,  to  scatter  broadcast  the  faith 
in  simple  beauty,  to  make  prevalent  the  conviction  that  we 
must  live  art  before  we  can  create  it. 

The  following  brief  essays  on  ' '  The  Simple  Home' '  are 
written  from  the  standpoint  of  a  layman  in  architecture,  and 
are  mainly  intended  to  present,  as  graphically  and  suggest- 
ively as  such  slight  treatment  enables,  certain  types  of  the  sim- 
ple home  which  may  be  infused  with  an  art  spirit.  From  such 
homes,  I  fondly  believe,  will  come  not  only  the  artists  of  the 
future,  but  the  public,  whose  faith  and  support  are  essential 
to  the  permanence  of  art  life  in  a  community. —  C.  K. 

[v] 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Spirit  of  the  Home           -------  i 

The  Garden           ---------  7 

The  Building  of  the  Home      -        -        -        -        -        -        -  17 

The  Furnishing  of  the  Home       ------  38 

Home  Life       ----- 52 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Shingled  Home  Adorned  with  Vines     ...        Frontispiece 

Brick  Home  in  Dutch  Style  Approached  Over  a  Bridge        -  8 

In  the  Japanese  Garden  at  Golden  Gate  Park     -        -        -  14 

Shingled  Home  of  Northern  Type  of  Architecture         -        -  20 

New  Zealand  Maori  House  Showing  Roof  of  Moderate  Pitch  26 

Hawaiian  House  Showing  Steep-pitched  Roof           -        -  30 

Glimpse  of  a  Spanish  California  Mission         -        -        -        -  34 

Cottage  of  Wood  with  Exterior  Open  Timber  Work          -  38 

Library  of  Wood  with  Interior  Timber  Work  Exposed          -  46 

California  Home  in  the  Spirit  of  a  Swiss  Chalet          -        -  52 

The  photographs  of  California  homes  are  by  Sarah  I.  Keeler. 


[vii] 


THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    HOME 

HOME  life  antedates  the  period  of  man  by  many 
evolutionary  cycles.  The  aerie  of  the  eagle, 
the  woven  cradle  of  the  oriole,  the  tunneled  re- 
treat of  the  field  mouse,  all  are  homes  in  the 
truest  sense.  They  are  shelters  from  the  world,  where 
motherhood  makes  her  eternal  sacrifice,  where  family  life 
and  love  find  full  expression,  and  where  offspring  are 
shielded  and  reared.  The  animal  home  differs  primarily 
from  the  human  home  in  its  transitoriness.  A  few  weeks  or 
months  suffice  for  the  weaning  of  the  litter  or  the  fledging 
of  the  brood,  and  then  the  family  scatters  to  the  four  winds. 
Even  with  primitive  men  the  home  is  scarce  more  than  a 
shelter  for  a  brief  interval  in  their  nomadic  life  ;  but  with 
advancing  culture,  it  becomes  a  more  permanent  affair. 
Groups  of  huts  are  clustered  in  a  village  which  is  the 
abiding-place  of  the  tribe  for  years  or  generations.  Then 
for  the  first  time  is  developed  an  architecture. 

Native  architecture,  like  civilized  architecture,  is  a  nat- 
ural growth.  The  nearest  available  material  is  worked  into 
a  shelter,   and  the    tradition    of  form    once    established   is 


handed  down  through  generations.  Thus  the  plains  Indians 
of  North  America  make  their  teepee  in  the  form  of  a  tent- 
shaped  frame  of  poles  covered  with  buffalo  or  deer  hide  ; 
the  Pueblos  of  New  Mexico  build  their  fortified  house  of 

[i] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


stone  or  adobe  and  enter  it  by  the  roof;  the  Eskimo 
construct  a  topek  of  sods  with  frame  of  whale-bone  and 
roof  of  walrus  skin,  or,  in  the  far  North,  build  their  igloo 
of  snow  masonry  with  tunneled  entrance  ;  the  Tahitians 
make  beautiful  bamboo  fares  like  baskets  or  bird-cages 
roofed  with  thatched  pandanus  leaves  ;  the  whare  of  the 
New  Zealand  Maori  is  of  marvelously  carved  wooden  slabs 
with  intervening  panels  of  bound  grass  and  with  thatched 
roof  of  flax  leaves.  So,  wherever  we  may  go  among 
native  tribes,  a  new  type  of  architecture  presents  itself  with 
every  new  race,  each  using  the  materials  at  hand  in  a  natural 
and  direct  fashion  to  produce  the  needed  shelter. 

In  the  matter  of  privacy,  it  may  be  noted,  the  native  is 
far  less  exacting  than  the  civilized  man.  Nearly  all  so-called 
savage  races  are  communistic  in  their  lives.  There  may  be 
distinctions  of  class  or  caste,  but  the  stranger  is  made  wel- 
come in  the  home  circle,  and  the  family  is  apt  to  be  a  large 
and  elastic  group,  comprising  many  distant  and  doubtful 
relations,  who  live  under  one  roof  and  in  one  apartment. 
It  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  dominant  idea  of 
the  native  home  is  hospitality.  In  Tahiti  the  customary 
salutation  to  a  stranger,  after  the  universal  greeting, 
"Iorana,"  is,  "Come  in  and  have  something  to  eat."  A 
savage  shares  his  food  and  home  with  the  stranger  quite  as 
a  matter  of  course,  never  as  a  benefaction. 

Something  of  this  native  spontaneous  hospitality  has 
persisted  in  the  traditions  of  California,  where  the  mission 
and  ranch  life  of  the  Mexicans  had  an  almost  savage  naivete 

[2] 


THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    HOME 


in  the  matter  of  entertaining  guests.  In  those  simple  days 
before  the  gringo  came,  a  stranger  could  journey  from  San 
Diego  to  Sonoma  and  be  sure  of  a  welcome  and  hospitality 
wherever  he  chose  to  stop.  Not  only  would  a  room  and 
food  be  provided  him,  but  upon  his  table,  covered  with  a 
napkin,  was  a  pile  of  uncounted  silver  known  as  guest 
money,  from  which  he  was  to  take  what  he  needed  to  speed 
him  on  his  way.  We  still  have  the  tradition,  but  we  have 
grown  sophisticated  since  the  coming  of  the  Argonauts. 

The  ideal  home  is  one  in  which  the  family  may  be  most 
completely  sheltered  to  develop  in  love,  graciousness  and 
individuality,  and  which  is  at  the  same  time  most  accessible 
to  friends,  toward  whom  hospitality  is  as  unconscious  and 
spontaneous  as  it  is  abundant.  Emerson  says  that  the  orna- 
ment of  a  house  is  the  friends  who  frequent  it. 

In  the  conventional  home,  both  the  richness  of  family 
intercourse  and  the  freedom  of  hospitality  is  restrained. 
A  life  hedged  in  with  formality  is  like  a  plant  stifled  by  sur- 
rounding weeds.  Many  people  mistake  formality  for  polite- 
ness, or  even  for  good  morals.  There  is  a  vast  difference 
between  good  etiquette  and  right  conduct.  How  depressing 
it  is  to  go  into  a  home  where  every  act  is  punctuated  with 
the  formalism  of  polite  society  ! 

The  home  must  suggest  the  life  it  is  to  encompass. 
The  mere  architecture  and  furnishings  of  the  house  do  not 
make  the  man  any  more  than  do  his  clothes,  but  they  cer- 
tainly have  an  effect  in  modifying  him.  A  large  nature  may 
rise  above  his  environment  and  live  in  a  dream  world  of  his 


[3] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


own  fashioning,  but  most  of  us  are  mollusks  after  all,  and  are 
shaped  and  sized  by  the  walls  which  we  build  about  us. 
When  we  enter  a  room  and  see  tawdry  furniture,  sham 
ornaments  and  vulgar  daubs  of  pictures  displayed,  do  we  not 
feel  convinced  that  the  occupants  of  the  home  have  a  tawdry 
and  vulgar  streak  in  their  natures?  Or  if  all  is  cold  and 
formal  in  architecture  and  furnishings,  do  we  not  instinc- 
tively nerve  ourselves  to  meet  the  shock  of  a  politely  proper 
reception  ? 

The  average  modern  American  home  is  a  reflex  in  min- 
iature of  the  life  of  the  people.  It  is  quickly  made  and 
lightly  abandoned.  If  it  were  constructed  like  the  Japanese 
house  of  bamboo  and  paper,  or  like  a  native  hut  of  thatch, 
it  might  charm  from  its  simplicity  and  lack  of  ostentation  ; 
or  if,  like  the  homes  of  our  ancestors,  it  were  made  of  mor- 
tised logs  chinked  with  mud,  it  would  have  a  rude  dignity 
and  inevitableness  which  would  put  it  in  harmony  with  the 
surrounding  nature.  But  these  things  no  longer  satisfy. 
We  must  all  have  palaces  to  house  us  —  petty  makeshifts, 
to  be  sure,  with  imitation  turrets,  spires,  porticos,  corbels 
and  elaborate  bracket- work  excrescences  —  palaces  of  crum- 
bling plaster,  with  walls  papered  in  gaudy  patterns  and 
carpets  of  insolent  device  —  palaces  furnished  in  cracking 
veneer,  with  marble  mantels  and  elaborate  chandeliers.  It 
is  a  shoddy  home,  the  makeshift  of  a  shoddy  age.  It  is  the 
natural  outgrowth  of  our  prosperous  democracy.  Machinery 
has  enabled  us  to  manifold  shams  to  a  degree  heretofore 
undreamed.    We  ornament  our  persons  with  imitation  pearls 

[4] 


THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    HOME 


and  diamonds  ;  we  dress  in  felt  wadding  that,  for  a  week  or 
two,  looks  like  wool ;  we  wear  silk  that  tears  at  a  touch, 
and  our  homes  are  likewise  adorned  with  imitations  and 
baubles.  We  botch  our  carpentering  and  trust  to  putty, 
paint  and  paper  to  cover  up  the  defects.  On  Sundays  we 
preach  about  the  goodly  apple  rotten  at  the  heart,  and  all 
the  week  we  make  houses  of  veneer  and  stucco.  Our 
defense  is  that  we  do  not  expect  to  tarry  long  where  we  are 
encamped,  so  why  build  for  the  grandchildren  of  the 
stranger  ? 

Happily,  a  change  is  coming  into  our  lives.  Nowhere 
in  the  country  is  it  more  marked  than  in  California.  From 
small  beginnings  it  has  spread  slowly  at  first,  but  soon  with 
added  momentum.  The  thought  of  the  simple  life  is  being 
worked  out  in  the  home.  In  the  simple  home  all  is  quiet  in 
effect,  restrained  in  tone,  yet  natural  and  joyous  in  its  frank 
use  of  unadorned  material.  Harmony  of  line  and  balance 
of  proportion  is  not  obscured  by  meaningless  ornamenta- 
tion ;  harmony  of  color  is  not  marred  by  violent  contrasts. 
Much  of  the  construction  shows,  and  therefore  good  work- 
manship is  required  and  the  craft  of  the  carpenter  is  restored 
to  its  old-time  dignity. 

Blessed  is  he  who  lives  in  such  a  home  and  who  makes 
life  conform  to  his  surroundings,  —  who  is  hospitable  not 
only  to  friends,  but  to  the  sweet  ministration  of  the  ele- 
ments, who  holds  abundant  intercourse  with  sun  and  air, 
with  bird  voices  sounding  from  the  shrubbery  without  and 
human  voices  within  singing  their  answer  !     In  such  a  home, 

[5] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


inspiring  in  its  touch  with  art  and  books,  glorified  by  mother 
love  and  child  sunshine,  may  the  human  spirit  grow  in 
strength  and  grace  to  the  fulness  of  years. 


[6] 


I 


THE    GARDEN 

°^HE  garden  is  the  touch  of  nature  which  mediates 
between  the  seclusion  of  the  home  and  the  pub- 
licity of  the  street.  It  is  nature  controlled  by 
art.  In  this  assembling  of  trees,  shrubbery,  vines 
and  flowers  about  the  home,  in  this  massing  of  greensward  or 
beds  of  bloom,  man  is  conjuring  the  beauties  of  nature  into 
being  at  his  very  doorstep,  and  compelling  them  to  refresh 
his  soul  with  an  ever-changing  pageantry  of  life  and  color. 

Unfortunately,  in  this  workaday  world,  the  possibility 
of  the  householder  to  be  also  a  gardener  is  regulated  by 
severe  necessity.  As  men  crowd  together,  the  value  of 
land  increases,  and  so  it  is  that  in  the  heart  of  a  large  city 
only  an  enlightened  public  sentiment  makes  practicable  the 
setting  apart  of  areas  where  all  may  enjoy  the  redeeming 
grace  of  foliage  and  flowers.  In  proportion  to  the  scat- 
tering of  men  is  the  extension  of  the  garden  possible,  until 
the  limit  is  reached  in  the  lodge  amid  the  wilderness,  where 
the  overpowering  presence  of  nature  makes  the  intrusion  of 
an  artificial  garden  an  impertinence.  In  the  village,  then, 
the  opportunities  of  the  garden  seem  to  be  greatest. 

But  even  the  city  home  need  not  be  wholly  without  the 
purifying  influence  of  plants  and  flowers.  Where  houses 
are  most  congested  and  there  is  no  land  about  the  walls, 
one  may  resort  to  potted  plants,  and  the  streets  may  be  deco- 

[7] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


rated  with  palms  or  small  trees  in  tubs  or  big  terra-cotta 
pots.  Vines  may  be  planted  in  long  wooden  boxes,  or, 
better  still,  in  cement  troughs  against  the  sides  of  the  house. 
If  one  objects  to  growing  flowers  in  the  rooms,  little  bal- 
conies or  railed-in  brackets  may  be  built  outside  the  windows 
for  holding  rows  of  potted  plants.  Hanging  baskets  con- 
taining vines  or  ferns  are  most  effective  on  porches,  while 
boxes  of  earth  may  stand  upon  upper  balconies  from  which 
vines  may  grow  and  trail  over  the  outer  walls.  A  move- 
ment for  the  decoration,  with  geraniums  and  other  plants 
and  vines,  of  the  residence  district  of  the  poor,  would,  I 
firmly  believe,  yield  immediate  returns  in  the  advancement 
of  culture. 

Another  expedient  in  the  absence  of  land  about  the  home 
is  the  roof  garden.  If  this  were  sheltered  from  the  pre- 
vailing wind  with  a  wall  or  screen  of  glass,  it  would  give  the 
urbanite  a  miniature  park  where  he  could  enjoy  fresh  air  in 
seclusion. 

But  these  devices  are  all  makeshifts  for  the  unfortunate 
ones  who  must  live  in  the  heart  of  a  city.  When  a  home  is 
built  in  the  town  or  country,  the  matter  of  a  garden  must 
be  taken  into  consideration.  Indeed,  this  should  be  studied 
even  before  the  house  is  located  on  the  land.  Modern  town 
lots  are  commonly  cut  up  in  long,  narrow  strips,  so  that  by 
putting  the  house  in  the  midst  of  a  lot  there  will  be  a  front 
and  a  back  yard.  This  conventional  arrangement  has  its 
advantages,  although,  as  a  rule,  an  unnecessary  amount  of 
space  is  wasted  on  the  back  yard,  the  chief  utility  of  which 

[8] 


THE    GARDEN 


seems  to  be  to  afford  room  for  the  garbage  barrel  and  for 
drying  clothes.  If  a  hint  is  taken  from  the  compact  method 
of  clothes-drying  practiced  by  the  Chinese  at  their  laun- 
dries, the  land  so  often  set  apart  for  this  purpose  can  be 
greatly  restricted,  thus  correspondingly  enlarging  the  gar- 
den. Two  alternatives  then  remain  —  to  place  the  house  far 
back  on  the  lot  and  have  the  garden  all  at  the  front,  or  to 
bring  the  house  forward  and  have  a  small  open  plot  in  front 
and  a  retired  garden  in  the  rear. 

Upon  hillsides,  if  the  streets  are  laid  out  in  a  rational 
manner  to  conform  with  the  contour  of  the  land,  winding 
naturally  up  the  slopes,  the  lots  will  of  necessity  be  cut  into 
all  sorts  of  irregular  shapes.  This  gives  endless  latitude  in 
the  placing  of  the  houses  upon  the  lots,  so  that  unconven- 
tional groups  of  buildings  may  be  set  upon  the  landscape  in 
the  most  picturesque  fashion.  But  even  when  the  lots  are 
of  the  usual  rectangular  shape,  much  ingenuity  may  be 
exercised  in  the  location  of  the  house  with  reference  to  the 
garden.  I  have  in  mind  one  corner  lot  with  a  stream 
winding  through  it,  shaded  with  venerable  live-oaks.  By 
putting  the  rear  of  the  house  on  the  property  line  of  the 
side  street,  the  front  wall  was  close  to  the  bank  of  the  stream, 
and  was  approached  by  a  simple  brick  bridge  which  led  to 
the  broad  veranda  about  the  entrance.  This  unusual  loca- 
tion gave  the  effect  of  a  large  front  garden,  and  made  the 
stream  the  principal  feature.  A  more  conventional  arrange- 
ment would  have  relegated  this  charming  little  watercourse 
to  the  back  yard. 

[9] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


Whenever  an  entire  block  of  homes  can  be  studied  in 
one  plan,  much  more  can  be  accomplished  than  by  the  cus- 
tomary method  of  each  man  for  himself,  regardless  of  the 
interests  of  his  neighbors.  For  example,  if  the  houses  must 
be  crowded  together  on  lots  of  fifty-feet  width,  the  garden 
space  could  be  made  to  yield  the  utmost  privacy  by  some 
such  arrangement  as  the  following  :  Suppose  the  houses  to 
be  set  two  or  three  feet  back  from  the  property  line,  leaving 
just  room  enough  to  plant  vines  and  bright  flowers  along 
the  front.  If,  then,  a  brick  fire  wall  were  erected  on  each 
fifty-foot  division  line,  the  houses  could  be  built  touching 
one  another,  and  thus  completely  filling  the  block,  save  for 
the  margin  of  flowers.  By  planning  each  house  on  three 
sides  of  a  hollow  square,  with  long,  narrow  rooms  in  wings 
extending  lengthwise  on  the  lots,  each  home  would  have  an 
inner  court,  completely  sheltered  from  neighbors,  and  with 
ample  space  behind  it  for  a  back  yard.  Or  this  scheme 
might  be  reversed  by  facing  the  hollow  square  to  the  street, 
in  which  case  the  court  might  be  sheltered  by  a  hedge  or 
low  wall.  According  to  the  former  plan,  the  long  front 
wall  would  perhaps  appear  somewhat  monotonous,  but  it 
could  be  diversified  by  having  generous  passageways  open- 
ing directly  through  the  houses  into  the  courts,  and  by  the 
judicious  use  of  open  timber  work  and  carving,  if  the  houses 
were  of  wood,  or  of  ornamental  terra-cotta,  if  of  brick.  The 
continuous  line  of  varied  bloom  next  the  sidewalk,  with 
shade  trees  on  the  street,  would  relieve  this  scheme  of  any 
stiffness.      I    mention    these    devices    merely  to    show    that 

[10] 


THE    GARDEN 


many  interesting  garden  effects  might  be  obtained  by  the 
exercise  of  more  thought  in  the  placing  of  the  house,  and 
especially  by  studying  a  group  of  structures  in  connection 
with  their  surrounding  land. 

Now,  as  to  the  garden  itself:  In  the  matter  of  archi- 
tecture, two  leading  types  appear  to  be  in  vogue  in  Cali- 
fornia, a  northern  and  a  southern,  differentiated  by  an 
extreme  or  slight  roof  pitch.  In  considering  the  garden, 
two  pronounced  types  are  also  encountered  —  the  natural 
and  formal  —  each  of  which  is  subject  to  two  modes  of  treat- 
ment according  to  the  character  of  vegetation  used,  whether 
this  be  predominantly  indigenous  or  predominantly  exotic. 

By  a  natural  garden  I  understand  one  that  simulates,  as 
nearly  as  may  be,  the  charm  of  the  wilderness,  tamed  and 
diversified  for  convenience  and  accessibility.  A  treatment 
of  this  sort  demands  very  considerable  stretches  of  land  to 
produce  a  satisfactory  result.  The  English  parks  are  prob- 
ably the  finest  examples  of  this  type,  which  can  hardly  be 
successfully  applied  to  town  lots  not  over  a  hundred  feet  in 
width  at  most.  In  a  district  where  the  lots  are  happily  laid 
out  on  a  somewhat  more  generous  plan,  and  especially 
where  nature  has  not  been  already  despoiled  of  all  her 
charms,  this  form  of  garden  may  be  developed  to  best 
advantage.  If  situated  in  the  California  Coast  region,  within 
the  redwood  belt,  nothing  could  give  greater  sense  of  peace 
and  charm  than  a  grove  of  these  noble  trees  varied  with  live- 
oaks,  and  with  other  native  trees  and  shrubs  growing  in  their 
shade,  such  as  madrono  and  manzanita,  sweet-scented  shrub, 

En] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


wild  currant,  redbud  and  azalea,  with  wild-flowers  peering 
from  the  leafy  covert  —  the  hound's  tongue,  baby-blue-eyes, 
shooting-star,  fritillaria,  eschscholtzia,  and  a  host  of  others. 
About  such  a  garden  as  this  there  is  a  purer  sentiment,  a 
more  refined  love  of  nature  undefiled,  than  can  be  obtained 
by  more  artificial  means ;  but  such  a  garden  needs  room. 
Big  trees,  and  especially  such  native  evergreens  as  the  red- 
wood and  live-oak,  take  an  unexpected  amount  of  space, 
and  if  crowded  together  make  the  surroundings  too  dark 
and  gloomy.  On  the  California  Coast  there  is  need  of  all 
the  sunlight  that  heaven  bestows.  Then,  too,  many  people 
build  their  homes  on  the  hillsides  to  enjoy  the  view.  If  num- 
bers of  large  trees  are  set  out  about  their  homes,  the  outlook 
is  soon  obliterated,  and  the  charm  of  far  sweeps  of  bay  and 
purple  ranges  is  lost.  It  ma}'  be  suggested  that  there  are 
plenty  of  smaller  native  trees  and  shrubs  that  can  be  used, 
which  will  be  adapted  to  a  restricted  plot  of  ground.  Prac- 
tically it  will  be  found,  it  seems  to  me,  that  a  garden  thus 
limited  to  indigenous  plants  will  prove  rather  dull  in  color 
and  lacking  in  character.  Without  the  woodsy  effect  of  light 
and  shadow,  or  the  brilliance  of  cultivated  flowers,  the  little 
patch  of  green  will  be  apt  to  seem  rather  commonplace. 

This  brings  me  to  the  second  treatment  of  the  natural 
type  of  garden  —  the  introduction  of  exotic  plants  into  the 
scheme.  The  coast  of  California,  as  far  north  as  the  San 
Francisco  Bay  region,  and  the  interior  valleys  for  a  hundred 
miles  and  more  farther  to  the  northward,  have  a  climate  of 
such  temperateness  that  an  extraordinary  variety  of  exotics 

[12] 


THE    GARDEN 


will  thrive  which,  in  less  favored  regions,  would  only  live 
under  glass.  Bamboo,  palms,  dracaenas,  magnolias,  oranges, 
bananas,  and  innumerable  other  fragrant  or  showy  plants  of 
New  Zealand  and  Australia,  of  Africa,  South  America  and 
the  Indies,  grow  with  the  hardihood  of  natives.  Among 
the  trees  most  commonly  introduced  are  such  as  the  euca- 
lypti, acacias,  pittosporums,  grevilias,  and  araucarias,  but 
the  number  of  successfully  growing  exotics  is  bewildering. 
Flowers  which  in  colder  climates  must  be  carefully  tended 
in  pots,  grow  here  like  rank  weeds,  while  vines  that  in  more 
rugged  localities  develop  a  few  timid  sprays,  shoot  up  here 
like  Jack's  beanstalk.  An  entire  house  may  be  embowered 
in  a  single  rose  vine.  Geranium  hedges  may  grow  to  a 
height  of  eight  feet  or  more.  It  is  a  common  sight  to  see 
hundreds  of  feet  of  stone  wall  so  packed  with  the  pink 
blossoms  of  the  ivy-geranium  that  it  appears  like  a  con- 
tinuous mass  of  bloom.  The  calla  sends  up  its  broad  leaves 
and  white  cups  as  high  as  a  man's  head.  The  lemon  ver- 
bena grows  into  a  tree. 

In  the  old-fashioned  California  gardens,  advantage  was 
taken  of  this  prodigal  growth,  but  without  much  study  of 
arrangement.  They  were  natural  gardens  of  exotics,  with 
curved  paths,  violet  bordered,  winding  through  the  shrub- 
bery. Often  there  was  great  incongruity  in  the  assembling 
of  plant  forms,  and  the  charm  lay  in  the  individual  plants 
rather  than  in  the  ensemble. 

Over  against  the  natural  garden,  whether  of  indigenous 
or  exotic  plants,  may  be  set  by  way  of  contrast,  the  formal 

[13] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


garden.  The  Italians  are  masters  of  this  type  of  garden 
architecture,  and  it  is  to  them  that  Californians  may  well 
turn  for  inspiration.  A  formal  garden  is  one  arranged 
according  to  an  architectural  plan,  with  terraces,  pools, 
fountains  and  watercourses,  out-of-door  rooms,  and  some 
suggestions  of  architectural  or  sculptural  adornment.  It 
would  be  possible  to  design  a  formal  garden  exclusively  or 
mainly  of  indigenous  plants,  but  this  would  unnecessarily 
cramp  the  artist  in  his  work.  By  having  a  choice  of  all  the 
plants  of  the  temperate  zone,  the  landscape  gardener  is 
given  limitless  power  of  expression  in  his  art.  It  is,  of 
course,  a  prime  essential  to  consider  the  effects  of  massing 
and  grouping,  the  juxtaposition  of  plants  that  seem  to  belong 
together,  and  a  due  regard  for  harmony  in  color  scheme. 

Another  type  which  may  be  studied  by  the  Californians 
to  great  advantage  is  the  Japanese  garden.  Conventional  to 
a  degree  with  which  the  Western  mind  cannot  be  expected 
to  sympathize,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  miniature  copy  of 
nature  made  with  that  consummate  aesthetic  taste  character- 
istic of  the  Japanese  race.  The  garden  as  they  conceive  it 
must  have  its  mimic  mountains  and  lakes,  its  rivulets 
spanned  by  arching  bridges,  its  special  trees  and  stones,  all 
prescribed  and  named  according  to  certain  stereotyped 
plans.  But  despite  all  this  conservatism  and  conventionality, 
the  details  are  free  and  graceful,  with  a  completeness  and 
subtlety  of  finish  that  makes  the  Western  garden  seem  crude 
and  commonplace  by  comparison.  Their  carved  gates, 
patterned  bamboo  fences,  stone  lanterns,  thatched  summer- 

[14] 


THE    GARDEN 


houses,  and  other  ornamental  accessories  are  original  and 
graceful  in  every  detail.  Like  the  Italians,  the  Japanese 
make  use  of  retired  nooks  and  out-of-door  rooms,  while 
artificial  watercourses  are  features  of  their  gardens. 

My  desire  in  calling  especial  attention  to  these  two  types 
of  gardens  developed  by  races  as  widely  sundered  as  the 
Italian  and  the  Japanese,  is  not  that  we  in  California  should 
imitate  either,  or  make  a  vulgar  mixture  of  the  two,  but, 
rather,  by  a  careful  study  of  both,  to  select  those  features 
which  can  be  best  adapted  to  our  own  life  and  landscape,  so 
that  a  new  and  distinctive  type  of  garden  may  be  evolved 
here,  based  upon  the  best  examples  of  foreign  lands.  As 
to  the  precise  form  which  this  new  garden  ty*^e  of  California 
should  assume,  it  is  perhaps  premature  to  say,  but  one 
thing  is  vital,  that  at  least  a  portion  of  the  space  should  be 
sequestered  from  public  view,  forming  a  room  walled  in 
with  growing  things  and  yet  giving  free  access  to  light  and 
air.  To  accomplish  this  there  must  be  hedges  or  vine- 
covered  walls  or  trellises,  with  rustic  benches  and  tables  to 
make  the  garden  habitable.  If  two  or  more  of  these  bowers 
are  planned,  connected  by  sheltered  paths,  a  center  of  inter- 
est for  the  development  of  the  garden  scheme  will  be  at 
once  available.  My  own  preference  for  a  garden  for  the 
simple  home  is  a  compromise  between  the  natural  and  formal 
types  —  a  compromise  in  which  the  carefully  studied  plan  is 
concealed  by  a  touch  of  careless  grace  that  makes  it  appear 
as  if  nature  had  unconsciously  made  bowers  and  paths  and 
sheltering  hedges. 

[15] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


In  the  selection  of  plants  there  is  one  point  which  may- 
be well  kept  in  mind  —  to  strive  for  a  mass  of  bloom  at  all 
periods  of  the  year.  A  little  study  of  the  seasons  at  which 
various  species  flower  will  enable  one  to  have  his  garden  a 
constant  carnival  of  gay  color.  As  the  China  lilies  and 
snowdrops  wane  in  midwinter,  the  iris  puts  forth  its  royal 
purple  blossoms,  followed  by  the  tulips,  the  cannas,  the 
geraniums  and  the  roses  (  both  of  which  latter  are  seldom  en- 
tirely devoid  of  blossoms).  In  midsummer  there  are  esch- 
scholtzias,  poppies,  hollyhocks,  sweet  peas  and  marigolds, 
while  chrysanthemums  bloom  in  the  autumn  and  early  winter. 
These  are  but  the  slightest  hints  of  the  way  in  which  a  study 
of  the  floral  procession  of  the  seasons  makes  it  possible  to 
keep  the  garden  aglow  with  color  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Let  us,  then,  by  all  means,  make  the  most  of  our  gar- 
dens, studying  them  as  an  art,  —  the  extension  of  archi- 
tecture into  the  domain  of  life  and  light.  Let  us  have 
gardens  wherein  we  can  assemble  for  play  or  where  we  may 
sit  in  seclusion  at  work  ;  gardens  that  will  exhilarate  our 
souls  by  the  harmony  and  glory  of  pure  and  brilliant  color, 
that  will  nourish  our  fancy  with  suggestions  of  romance  as 
we  sit  in  the  shadow  of  the  palm  and  listen  to  the  whisper 
of  rustling  bamboo  ;  gardens  that  will  bring  nature  to  our 
homes  and  chasten  our  lives  by  contact  with  the  purity  of 
the  great  Earth  Mother. 


[16] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

HOME  making  is  one  of  the  sacred  tasks  of  life, 
for  the  home  is  the  family  temple,  consecrated 
to  the  service  of  parents  and  offspring.  As 
the  strength  of  the  state  is  founded  upon  family 
life,  so  is  the  strength  of  society  based  upon  the  home. 
The  building  of  the  home  should  be  an  event  of  profound 
importance.  It  should  be  with  man  as  it  is  with  the  birds, 
the  culminating  event  after  courtship  and  marriage,  upon 
which  all  the  loving  thought  and  energy  of  the  bridal  pair 
is  bestowed.  How  often  in  our  modern  American  life  do_ 
we  find  a  far  different  procedure  !  The  real  estate  agent 
and  the  investor  confer,  and  as  a  result  we  have  rows  of 
houses  put  up  to  sell  to  shiftless  home  seekers  who  are 
too  indifferent  to  think  out  their  own  needs,  and  helplessly 
take  what  has  been  built  for  the  trade.  The  taint  of  com- 
mercialism is  over  these  homes,  and  all  too  often  the  life 
within  them  is  shallow  and  artificial. 

The  building  of  houses  is  an  art,  not  a  trade,  and  there- 
fore it  is  needful  that  when  those  who  are  to  occupy  the 
home  have  thought  out  their  needs,  they  should  let  an 
artist  create  out  of  their  disjointed  ideas  an  artistic  whole. 
So  apparent  is  this  that  it  seems  but  an  idle  truism,  yet 
comparatively  few  realize  its  full  significance.  It  is  not 
enough  for  a  boss  carpenter  or  a  contractor  to  style  himself 

[17] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


an  architect  and  hang  out  his  shingle.  We  must  demand 
of  our  architect  that  he  be  a  real  creative  artist  —  that 
he  understand  form  and  proportion,  that  he  be  a  man  of 
taste  and  originality,  that  he  appreciate  not  merely  the 
general  types,  but  the  inner  spirit  of  the  architecture  of 
other  peoples  and  other  ideals  of  culture.  Such  a  man  will 
sublimate  our  crude  and  imperfect  conception  of  the  home 
and  make  of  it  a  vital  expression.  Such  a  home  will  not 
merely  fit  us,  but  will  be  like  the  clothes  of  a  growing 
child,  loose  enough  to  allow  us  to  expand  to  its  full  idea, 
and  with  seams  which  can  be  let  out  as  the  experience  of 
years  enlarges  our  ideals. 

It  has  often  been  pointed  out  that  all  sound  art  is  an 
expression  springing  from  the  nature  which  environs  it.  Its 
principles  may  have  been  imported  from  afar,  but  the  appli- 
cation of  those  principles  must  be  native.  A  home,  for 
example,  must  be  adapted  to  the  climate,  the  landscape  and 
the  life  in  which  it  is  to  serve  its  part.  In  New  England 
we  must  have  New  England  homes  ;  in  Alabama,  Alabama 
homes,  and  in  California,  California  homes.  We  cannot 
import  the  one  bodily  into  the  other  surroundings  without 
introducing  jarring  notes,  although  there  is  a  certain  quality 
in  architecture  which  is  racial  and  temperamental  rather  than 
climatic, —  a  quality  not  to  be  ignored  or  slighted. 

Even  such  a  designation  as  a  California  home  is  too 
inclusive,  for  between  the  climate  and  scenery  of  San  Diego 
and  Mendocino  Counties  there  is  as  wide  a  diversity  as 
between  New    England    and    Alabama.      In    the    following 

[18] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

discussion,  much  will  be  of  general  application  regardless 
of  climate  or  landscape,  but  those  points  in  which  environ- 
ment enters  will  refer  mainly  to  the  region  about  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay.  Here  a  quarter  of  the  population  of  California  is 
concentrated,  and  it  is  with  their  homes  that  I  am  especially 
concerned. 

The  style  of  the  house  is  determined  in  no  small  degree 
by  the  material  of  which  it  is  constructed,  and  this  in  turn 
is  to  a  large  measure  regulated  by  cost  or  availability.  Prim- 
itive people  in  many  lands  have  found  reeds,  grasses,  or 
leaves,  thatched  upon  poles,  the  most  readily  obtainable 
material  for  making  a  shelter.  Even  in  the  rural  districts 
of  England  the  use  of  thatch  may  still  be  seen,  but  the 
danger  of  fire  and  the  comparative  instability  of  such  work 
has  caused  it  to  be  generally  abandoned. 

In  all  countries  where  forests  of  suitable  timber  are 
accessible,  we  find  wooden  houses  predominate.  Even  such 
savages  as  the  Thlingit  Indians  of  Alaska  and  the  New 
Zealand  Maoris,  both  living  in  lands  abundantly  forested, 
abandoned  the  temporary  huts  of  their  ancestors  for  perma- 
nent houses  of  wooden  slabs.  In  desert  countries,  on  the 
contrary,  where  wood  is  scarce  and  difficult  to  obtain,  we 
find  the  first  evidences  of  the  use  of  stone  or  clay  for  build- 
ing purposes.  The  Pueblo  Indians  of  Arizona,  the  Aztecs 
of  Mexico  and  the  early  Egyptians  are  instances  in  point. 

California  is  still  in  the  period  of  wooden  houses.  With 
great  forest  areas  unexploited  and  the  modern  facilities  for 
converting  trees  into    lumber,   this  is  still  by  far  the  least 

[19] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


expensive  material  available  for  building  purposes.  A  brick 
house  costs  today  nearly  twice  as  much  as  a  wooden  house, 
and  a  structure  of  stone,  or  even  of  terra-cotta,  is  far  more 
expensive  than  one  of  brick.  Since  the  average  home  builder 
puts  into  his  residence  all  he  can  afford,  building  of  brick 
would  mean  to  shrink  the  house  to  half  its  dimensions  in 
wood.  It  therefore  follows  that  brick  and  stone,  for  some 
time  to  come,  will  be  available  chiefly  for  public  or  com- 
mercial structures,  except  amongst  the  very  rich,  while  the 
man  of  average  means  must  be  content  with  wood. 

In  this  there  is  no  hardship  if  the  one  essential  rule  be 
observed  of  using  every  material  in  the  manner  for  which  it 
is  structurally  best  adapted,  and  of  handling  it  in  a  dignified 
style.  The  failure  to  observe  this  rule  is  the  great  sin  in 
most  of  the  domestic  architecture  of  America.  A  few  illus- 
trations will  emphasize  the  point.  The  arch  of  masonry  is 
the  strongest  structural  use  of  stone  or  brick.  An  arch  of 
wood,  on  the  contrary,  has  no  structural  value,  and  is  a 
mere  imitation  of  a  useful  building  form.  It  is  generally 
painted  to  imitate  the  effect  of  stone,  and  thus  sins  even 
more  seriously  in  becoming  a  sham.  We  feel  that  a  woman 
with  painted  lips  and  cheeks  is  vulgar  because  she  is  sham- 
ming the  beauty  which  only  vigorous  health  can  bestow  ;  so 
also  is  woodwork  vulgar  when  it  is  covered  over  to  imitate 
the  architectural  form  of  stone. 

The  rounded  arch,  although  the  most  obvious  type  of 
iaulty  design  in  wood,  is  only  one  of  many  points  in  which 
the  effect  of  stone  construction  is  unwarrantably  imitated  in 

[20] 


X 

o 
3 
w 

o 
•a 

Z 

o 

» 

H 
X 
n 
x 
z 


I 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

wood.  The  round  tower,  the  curving  bay  window,  and  a 
multitude  of  detachable  ornaments  are  cheaply  rendered  in 
wood  when  their  very  nature  demands  that  they  be  built  of 
masonry.  It  is  a  good  general  rule  in  timber  construction 
to  build  in  straight,  angular  lines,  thus  in  a  measure  insuring 
the  effect  of  strength,  dignity,  and  repose. 

Having  determined  the  general  form  of  construction  in 
wood,  it  is  next  important  to  consider  its  right  treatment 
and  handling.  Wood  is  a  good  material  if  left  in  the 
natural  finish,  but  it  is  generally  spoiled  by  the  use  of  paint 
or  varnish.  This  is  a  matter  which  perhaps  cannot  be 
entirely  reasoned  out.  It  must  be  seen  and  felt  to  be  under- 
stood ;  and  yet  it  is  a  point  vital  to  artistic  work.  There  is 
a  refinement  and  character  about  natural  wood  which  is 
entirely  lost  when  the  surface  is  altered  by  varnish  and 
polish.  Oil  paint  is  the  most  deadly  foe  of  an  artistic  wood 
treatment.  It  is  hard  and  characterless,  becoming  dull  and 
grimy  with  time  and  imparting  a  cold  severity  to  the  walls. 

Wood  is  treated  with  paint  for  two  avowed  reasons  —  to 
protect  it  and  to  ornament  it.  Experience  proves,  however, 
that  the  protection  afforded  by  paint  is  quite  unnecessary  in 
most  climates.  Shingles,  if  left  to  themselves,  rot  very 
slowly  and  in  a  very  clean  manner.  Since  the  grain  of  the 
wood  is  in  the  direction  of  drainage,  the  rot  is  constantly 
washed  out  instead  of  accumulating.  With  painted  clap- 
boards, in  which  the  grain  runs  crosswise  to  the  drainage, 
on  the  contrary,  dirt  and  grime  are  scrubbed  into  the  wood, 
and  a  renewal  of  paint  is  necessary  after  a  very  few  years. 

[21] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


Natural  shingles  last  fully  three  times  as  long  as  a  coat  of 
paint,  and  are  thus  in  the  end  an  economy. 

As  to  the  second  reason  for  treating  wood  with  paint, 
ornamentation,  let  us  consider  for  a  moment  wherein  lies  the 
beauty  of  a  house.  We  are  too  prone  to  forget  that  a 
single  house  is  but  a  detail  in  a  landscape.  In  the  country 
it  is  a  mere  incident  amongst  the  trees  or  fields  ;  in  the  city 
it  is  but  one  of  a  street  of  houses.  In  either  case  its  effect 
should  never  be  considered  apart  from  the  whole.  The 
exterior  of  a  house  should  always  be  conceived  so  that  it 
will  harmonize  with  its  surroundings.  The  safest  means  of 
effecting  this  is  by  leaving  the  natural  material  to  the  tender 
care  of  the  elements.  Wood  in  time  weathers  to  a  soft 
brown  or  gray  in  which  the  shadows  are  the  chief  marks  of 
accent.  The  tones  are  sufficiently  neutral  to  accord  with 
any  landscape,  and  the  only  criticism  from  an  artistic  point 
of  view  which  can  be  made  upon  the  coloring  of  such  a  group 
of  houses  is  that  they  are  rather  sober  and  reserved.  Califor- 
nia has  a  remedy  for  this  defect  in  the  abundance  of  climbing 
flowers.  Banksia  rose,  ivy-geranium,  Wistaria,  clematis, 
passion  vine,  Ampelopsis,  and  a  joyous  host  of  companion 
vines  are  ready  to  enliven  any  sober  wall.  Wire-mesh  screens 
a  foot  from  the  house  will  protect  the  shingles  from  damp- 
ness, and  our  houses  can  thus  be  decked  as  for  a  carnival  in 
a  wealth  of  varying  bloom. 

A  practice  much  in  vogue  of  trimming  shingle  houses 
with  white  is  especially  to  be  deprecated  since  the  white 
accent  is  utterly  out  of  key  with  the  rest  of  the  house  and 

[22] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

attracts  the  attention  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  importance 
of  the  parts  thus  emphasized.  If  color  must  be  used,  a 
creosote  shingle  stain  for  the  roof,  of  dull  red  or  a  soft 
warm  green,  is  not  apt  to  destroy  the  color  harmony  of  the 
house  with  reference  to  the  surrounding  landscape,  but  the 
difficulty  is  that  crude  harsh  colors  are  so  often  chosen,  or, 
if  successfully  avoided  by  the  original  colorist,  may  be 
applied  by  some  less  discriminating  successor.  The  colors 
bestowed  by  nature  always  improve  with  time,  and  are 
therefore  by  far  the  safest. 

Our  consideration  of  the  home  has  progressed  only  so 
far  as  the  right  use  of  one  material.  There  are  two  other 
matters  of  fundamental  importance,  the  style  of  archi- 
tecture and  the  plan.  Our  discussion  to  this  point  would 
apply  equally  to  any  country  or  climate,  but  in  the  matters 
now  to  be  treated,  the  environment  must  be  reckoned  with. 
A  simple  house  need  not,  in  an  exact  sense,  be  classed  with 
any  style  of  architecture,  yet  there  are  certain  distinguishing 
features  which  seem  to  throw  many  of  our  recent  homes  into 
either  the  Classic,  the  Gothic,  or  the  so-called  "Mission" 
architecture  of  the  Spanish. 

With  the  California  houses  which  pass  under  the  name 
of  "Colonial"  I  have  no  sympathy  whatever.  In  the 
Eastern  States  the  real  colonial  houses  are  genuinely  beau- 
tiful and  appropriate,  set  amidst  green  lawns  and  shadowed 
with  venerable  elms,  but  their  charm  lies  more  in  the  natural 
use  of  good  materials  than  in  the  introduction  of  classic 
columns  and  other  embellishments.     The  cheap  imitations 

[23] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


of  such  homes  in  California  generally  have  no  harmonious 
setting  and  are  characterized  by  the  use  of  inappropriate 
materials  in  an  insincere  way.  I  need  instance  but  one 
example,  that  of  a  large  wooden  house  painted  red  to  sug- 
gest brick,  with  blocks  of  white  trimming  as  a  reminiscence 
of  marble  or  granite.  In  this  there  is  no  attempt  at 
deception,  of  course,  but  a  mere  copy  of  an  effect  produced 
by  more  expensive  materials. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  at  greater  length  on  the  inap- 
propriateness  of  meaningless  white-painted  fluted  columns  of 
hollow  wood,  which  support  nothing  worthy  of  their  pre- 
tentiousness, of  little  balconies  of  turned  posts,  which  are 
too  small  or  inaccessible  to  be  used,  and  many  other  vulgar 
accessories  of  ornament,  made  more  glaring  by  a  hard 
surface  of  white  paint. 

I  therefore  pass  next  to  the  Gothic  house.  A  real  prob- 
lem here  presents  itself  for  serious  consideration,  one,  in 
fact,  concerning  which  our  best  architects  are  not  fully  in 
accord.  In  brief,  the  question  is  :  Shall  we  bar  the  pointed 
roof  from  the  valleys  of  California,  and  with  it  the  Gothic 
spirit,  on  the  ground  that  our  climate  does  not  demand  it? 
Those  who  reply  in  the  affirmative,  point  to  the  fact  that  we 
live  in  a  land  without  snow,  and  that  the  steep-pitched  roof 
is  called  for  only  as  a  means  of  shedding  the  heavy  snow 
of  a  northern  climate.  They  contend  that  since  our  climatic 
affinities  are  with  the  Mediterranean  countries  rather  than 
with  Germany,  Britain,  and  Scandinavia,  our  architecture 
should  follow  the  inspiration  of  the  South  rather  than  of  the 

[24] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

North.  Those  who  make  this  contention  find  their  ideal  in 
a  masonry  architecture  with  roofs  of  the  slightest  practicable 
pitch.  I  have  much  sympathy  with  this  point  of  view,  and 
yet  the  case  does  not  seem  quite  so  clear  as  some  of  its  most 
consistent  advocates  conceive  it.  The  problem  seems  to 
hinge,  in  part  at  least,  on  whether  or  not  the  steep-pitched 
roof  is  to  be  regarded  only  in  the  light  of  a  snow-shed.  If 
so,  it  is  manifestly  out  of  place  in  the  valleys  of  Central  and 
Southern  California.  But  is  there  not  another  element 
involved  in  the  pointed  lines  of  Gothic  architecture?  Are 
the  pinnacles  and  spires  of  a  Gothic  cathedral  intended 
simply  or  mainly  to  carry  off  snow?  It  seems  to  me,  on 
the  contrary,  that  the  whole  pointed  effect  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture is,  in  a  measure  at  least,  a  means  of  expressing  the 
ideal  of  aspiration.  A  flattened  roof  naturally  carries  the 
glance  down  to  earth  ;  a  pointed  roof,  on  the  other  hand, 
leads  the  eye  upward  to  the  sky.  The  two  ideals  are  most 
completely  embodied  in  the  Greek  temple  and  the  Gothic 
cathedral,  the  one  complete,  finished,  nobly  crowning  the 
earth,  the  other  beautiful  in  itself  but  pointing  heavenward 
toward  spiritual  things  unrealized. 

Even  if  the  flatness  of  the  Greek  temple  and  the 
pointedness  of  the  Gothic  cathedral  were  primarily  the 
result  of  the  absence  and  presence  of  snow,  these  forms 
have,  in  the  course  of  ages,  become  the  embodiments  of 
certain  human  ideals,  the  contented  and  the  aspiring.  The 
horizontal  line  suggests  repose ;  the  vertical  line,  action. 
If  the  Gothic  spirit  is  to  be  introduced  and  perpetuated  in 

[25] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


California,   it  will  have  a  temperamental  rather  than  a  cli- 
matic rationale. 

That  the  pointed  roof  is  not  an  essential  in  a  country 
with  heavy  winter  snows  is  well  exemplified  by  the  Swiss 
chalet.  Those  who  disparage  the  pointed  roof  most  strongly 
as  an  importation  from  a  land  of  snow  are  most  ready  to 
follow  the  type  of  house  characteristic  of  Switzerland,  where 
broad  roofs  of  very  slight  pitch,  supported  by  massive  tim- 
bers, hold  the  snow  to  serve  as  a  warm  blanket. 

If  we  turn  to  savage  architecture  to  discover  the  natural 
genesis  of  roof  lines,  we  find  the  Thlingit  Indians  in  Alaska 
and  the  Maoris  of  southern  New  Zealand,  both  living  in 
lands  of  winter  snow,  building  houses  with  roof  pitch  but 
little  steeper  than  that  characteristic  of  Italy  and  Greece, 
while  the  Hawaiians,  who  dwell  in  the  tropics  and  whose 
ancestors  lived  there  in  the  remote  past,  build  grass  houses 
with  roofs  as  steep  as  those  of  Norway.  In  the  face  of 
such  unconscious  testimony  as  to  the  lack  of  necessary  rela- 
tion between  roof  pitch  and  snow,  I  fail  to  see  how  any 
fair-minded  student  of  architecture  can  continue  to  press 
the  point. 

Personally  I  have  no  wish  to  argue  in  favor  of  either 
roof  pitch  for  California.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  largely  a 
matter  of  individual  taste,  to  be  determined  by  the  prefer- 
ence of  the  builder  for  Gothic  or  Classic  ideals.  There  is  a 
practical  advantage  in  the  roof  of  low  pitch,  in  that  it  gives  an 
increase  in  attic  room,  but  the  steep  roof,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  a  more  perfect  water-shed,  and  therefore  less  liable  to  leak. 

[26] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

The  Mansard  roof,  with  flat  top  enclosed  with  a  railing, 
need  not  be  discussed  in  this  connection,  since  it  is  happily 
out  of  fashion  and  seems  destined  to  remain  so.  Another 
form  of  flat  roof—  that  characteristic  of  Egypt  and  Pales- 
tine—  is,  on  the  contrary,  quite  appropriate  to  California, 
and  especially  to  city  houses.  In  this  style  of  architecture 
the  outer  walls  of  the  house  project  above  the  roof  level, 
enclosing  an  open-air  garden  on  the  house-top.  Buildings 
thus  designed  are  generally  made  of  stone,  brick,  or  plaster, 
although  wood  also  may  be  fitly  employed  for  a  house  of 
this  description. 

Our  discussion  of  architectural  styles  has  thus  far  been 
restricted  to  roof  lines,  and  the  conclusion  reached  is  that 
taste  and  a  feeling  for  simple,  harmonious  lines  rather  than 
climate  is  the  governing  principle  in  determining  these.  In 
the  matter  of  windows,  balconies,  and  the  arrangement  of 
the  walls,  on  the  contrary,  climate  plays  an  important  role. 
Southern  California  is  pre-eminently  a  land  of  sunshine,  with 
slight  rainfall,  little  fog,  mild  winters,  and  hot,  dry  sum- 
mers. An  out-of-door  life  is  possible  much  of  the  year, 
and  protection  from  the  sun  is  a  necessity  to  comfort. 
Deep  recessed  verandas,  windows  with  deep  reveals,  and 
open  rooms  roofed  over  and  with  the  sides  protected  by 
screens  upon  which  vines  may  be  trained,  —  all  these  are 
suitable  to  the  climate  of  southern  California,  and  to  the 
sheltered  valleys  in  the  interior  of  the  central  part  of  the 
State.  The  Spanish  architecture  is  especially  appropriate 
in  these  regions.     Heavy  walls  of  masonry,  secluded  courts, 

[27] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


outside  corridors  sheltered  from  the  sun,  and  houses  set  flat 
upon  the  ground,  are  quite  in  keeping  with  a  warm,  arid 
country. 

The  region  about  San  Francisco  Bay  has  a  very  different 
climate.  The  proportion  of  sunny  days  is  far  less  ;  during 
the  winter  there  is  an  abundant  rainfall,  while  in  summer 
much  foggy  weather  is  experienced.  The  winters  are  so 
mild  that  furnace  fires  are  seldom  considered  a  necessity, 
while  the  summers  are  so  cool  that  there  are  only  a  few 
days  when  sunlight  is  not  welcome  for  its  warmth.  Thus  it 
follows  that  about  San  Francisco  Bay  we  need  to  introduce 
into  our  homes  all  the  sunlight  we  can  get.  Here  the  deep 
shadowing  porches  or  outside  corridors  are  out  of  place,  as 
are  also  deep-set  windows  of  small  dimensions.  We  need 
plenty  of  glass  on  the  south,  east  and  west.  A  small  glass 
room  on  the  south  side  of  the  house  is  a  great  luxury,  as 
well  as  an  economy  in  the  matter  of  heating  the  entire 
home. 

Furthermore,  the  bay  climate  is  mild  enough  to  enable 
people  to  sit  out  of  doors  during  two-thirds  of  the  year  if 
shelter  is  provided  against  the  prevailing  sea  breeze  from 
the  west.  Wide  porches  without  roofing,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  house,  or  on  the  south  side  with  a  wall  of  wood  or 
glass  at  the  western  end,  are  therefore  the  best  means  of 
promoting  an  out-of-door  life  in  the  family.  These  porches 
are  most  useful  when  large  enough  to  accommodate  a  table 
and  chairs,  and  they  may  be  protected  from  publicity  by 
.  means  of  bamboo  strip  curtains  or  by  a  screen  of  vines.     A 

[28] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

movable   awning  or   a  large   Japanese  umbrella   overhead 
makes  the  porch  into  a  livable  open-air  room. 

The  lighting  of  the  home  is  greatly  improved  by  massing 
the  windows,  thus  avoiding  the  strain  on  the  eyes  occa- 
sioned by  cross  lights.  Three  or  four  windows  side  by  side 
give  a  far  better  light  than  the  same  number  scattered  about 
the  room,  and  the  wall  space  can  be  utilized  to  better  advan- 
tage by  this  arrangement.  The  old-fashioned  hinged  win- 
dows are  more  picturesque  than  the  customary  sort  that  slide 
up  and  down  with  the  aid  of  weights  on  pulleys  concealed 
between  the  walls ;  and  leaded  glass,  when  it  can  be 
afforded,  not  only  lends  decorative  effect  to  the  house,  but 
also  breaks  up  the  view  in  a  charming  manner. 

While  insisting  on  abundant  sunlight  in  homes  about 
San  Francisco  Bay,  I  cannot  overlook  the  fascination  of 
wide  eaves.  A  house  without  eaves  always  seems  to  me 
like  a  hat  without  a  brim,  or  like  a  man  who  has  lost  his 
eyebrows.  The  decorative  value  of  shadows  cannot  well  be 
overestimated  ;  and  the  problem  thus  becomes  one  of  making 
the  most  of  the  eaves  without  losing  too  much  sunlight  from 
the  rooms.  In  this,  so  much  depends  on  the  location  and 
plan  of  the  house  that  no  general  discussion  would  be  of 
much  practical  value. 

The  plan  of  the  home,  which,  after  all,  is  the  great 
factor  in  its  convenience  and  livabifity,  still  remains  for  con- 
sideration. If  I  were  to  make  one  suggestion  only,  it  would 
be  to  keep  it  large  and  simple  in  idea.  A  generous  living 
room  of  ample  dimensions  is   preferable   to   several  small 

[29] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


rooms  without  distinctive  character.  The  custom  of  having 
a  front  and  back  parlor  is  relegated  to  the  limbo  of  our 
grandmothers,  and  in  its  stead  one  large  living  room  suffices 
for  family  gatherings  and  the  entertainment  of  friends. 
The  dining-room  may  open  off  from  this  assembly  room  as 
an  annex  or  alcove,  closed  with  heavy  curtains  or  with  a 
large  sliding  door.  Little  surprises  in  the  form  of  unex- 
pected nooks  or  cabinets  seen  through  long  vistas,  and 
other  elements  of  mystery  lend  charm  when  done  by  an 
artist,  but  it  is  decidedly  better  for  the  inexpert  to  avoid  all 
but  the  simplest  and  most  natural  expression. 

A  high  ceiling,  with  its  wide  expanse  of  unused  wall 
space,  commonly  gives  a  room  a  dreary  effect  which  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  remove,  although  an  extremely  high 
ceiling,  relieved  by  exposed  rafters,  is  sometimes  very 
charming,  effectively  revealing  the  roof  as  in  a  barn  or 
chapel.  In  other  respects  the  plan  depends  largely  on  the 
life  of  the  family,  in  which  sanitation,  comfort,  convenience 
and  adaptability  all  must  be  well  considered.  No  home  is 
truly  beautiful  which  is  not  fitted  to  the  needs  of  those  who 
dwell  within  its  walls.  A  stairway  upon  which  a  tall  man  is 
in  danger  of  bumping  his  head  is  an  example  of  bad  art. 
So,  too,  is  a  stairway  with  risers  so  high  or  a  flight  so  long 
that  the  mother  of  the  family  will  be  over-fatigued  in  going 
up  and  down. 

Too  little  attention  is  commonly  paid  to  the  interior  finish. 
Anything  that  tends  to  emphasize  the  constructive  quality 
of  the  work  enhances  its  value.      No  ceiling  ornament  can 


[3o] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

equal  the  charm  of  visible  floor  joists  and  girders,  or  of  the 
rafters.  They  are  not  there  merely  to  break  up  the 
monotony  of  a  flat  surface,  but  primarily  to  keep  the  upper 
stories  from  falling  on  our  heads.  Incidentally,  they  are  a 
most  effective  decoration  with  their  parallel  lines  and  shadows. 
My  own  preference  for  the  interior  walls  of  a  wooden  house 
is  wood.  If  an  air  space  is  left  between  the  shingle  wall  and 
the  inner  lining,  the  house  will  not  be  too  susceptible  to 
changes  of  temperature  without.  It  is  only  of  late  years 
that  the  full  charm  of  the  natural  California  redwood  has 
been  realized.  Until  recently  it  was  treated  with  a  stain 
and  then  varnished,  but  now  this  practice  has  given  way  to 
the  use  of  surfaced  wood,  rubbed  with  a  wax  dressing  to 
preserve  the  natural  color,  or  left  to  darken  without  any 
preservative. 

The  redwood  walls  of  the  interior  may  be  made  by 
nailing  vertical  slabs  to  the  outside  of  the  studding,  thus 
leaving  the  construction  all  exposed  within,  or  by  applying 
simple  vertical  panels  to  the  inside  of  the  studding.  A  very 
effective  door  is  made  of  a  single  long,  narrow  panel  of  red- 
wood, with  the  edges  of  the  frame  left  square. 

There  are  other  satisfying  interior  finishes  beside  the 
natural  planed  redwood.  An  extremely  interesting  result 
can  be  obtained  by  taking  rough-sawed  boards  or  timbers, 
and  slightly  charring  the  surface.  On  rubbing  this  down 
with  sand  and  an  old  broom,  a  soft  brown  color  and  an 
interesting  wavy  texture  is  produced.  Redwood  treated  with 
sulphate  of  iron  is  turned  a  silver  gray,  like  boards  exposed 

[3i] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


for  years  to  the  weather,  and  gives  an  interesting  color 
scheme  to  a  room.  Rough  boards  sawed  and  left  without 
planing  may  be  colored  with  a  soft  green  creosote  stain, 
which  gives  a  peculiarly  subdued  and  mossy  effect.  Other 
stains,  or  even  the  application  of  Dutch  leaf  metal  or  of  gold 
paint  on  wood,  may  be  used  with  caution  by  an  experi- 
enced artist,  but  should  be  avoided  by  the  novice.  Planks 
or  beams,  surfaced  with  the  adze,  have  a  fascinating  texture, 
this  finish  being  especially  effective  for  exposed  rafters. 

A  hard  pine  flooring  answers  very  well  in  an  inexpensive 
house,  although  a  harder  wood  is  to  be  preferred  if  it  can  be 
afforded.  A  coating  of  white  shellac,  followed  by  weekly 
polishings  with  wax  and  a  friction  brush,  leaves  the  floor  in 
good  order. 

I  have  thus  far  said  nothing  of  ornament  in  describing 
the  construction  of  the  home.  It  is  far  better  to  have  no 
ornament  than  to  have  it  either  badly  designed  or  wrongly 
placed.  We  sometimes  see  shingle  houses  with  a  square 
piece  of  machine  carving  of  commonplace  design  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  a  plain  wall  surface.  The  bare  wall  would 
have  been  inoffensive,  but  the  ornament  spoils  the  sim- 
plicity and  effectiveness  of  the  entire  house.  Ornament 
should  grow  out  of  the  construction,  and  should  always  be 
an  individual  expression  adapted  to  the  particular  space  it 
is  to  fill.  Thus  all  machine-turned  moldings,  sawed-out 
brackets,  or  other  mechanical  devices  for  ornament,  may 
well  be  rigorously  excluded. 

As  the  life  of  the  home  centers  about  the  fireplace,  this 

[32] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

may  appropriately  be  the  most  beautiful  feature  of  a  room. 
Let  its  ornamentation  be  wholly  individual  and  hand  wrought. 
Carved  corbels,  supporting  a  plain  shelf,  or  some  good 
conventional  form  done  in  terra-cotta  or  tiling,  may  be  used 
to  advantage  ;  but  if  something  cannot  be  made  for  that 
particular  spot,  be  content  with  a  good,  generous  fireplace 
of  the  rough,  richly  colored  clinker  brick  or  of  pressed 
brick,  or  big  tiles.  If  good  in  form,  the  hearth  will  be  a 
beautiful  corner,  full  of  good  cheer. 

While  on  the  subject  of  ornament,  I  cannot  refrain  from 
a  word  on  the  lack  of  vitality  in  the  decorative  work  of  even 
our  best  architects.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  instead  of 
making  designs  from  the  decorative  forms  of  animals  and 
plants  about  them,  they  almost  invariably  copy,  with  more 
or  less  exactness,  the  designs  from  architectural  works  of 
Europe.  How  much  easier  to  take  books  of  details  of 
Italian  chapels  and  Greek  temples,  than  to  go  to  that  won- 
derful book  of  nature  and  create  from  her  treasure-house 
new  motives !  But  until  the  latter  method  is  followed, 
decorative  work  will  be  feeble  and  imitative. 

Thus  far  our  discussion  has  been  confined  to  houses 
built,  within  and  without,  of  wood.  An  outer  covering  of 
bricks  may  be  substituted  for  the  shingles  without  materially 
altering  the  design  in  other  respects,  and,  if  the  construction 
be  sufficiently  massive  to  warrant  it,  slate  or  tile  may 
replace  the  shingles  of  the  roof,  making  the  whole  more 
durable  and  substantial  in  effect.  But  it  is  a  mistake  to 
suppose  that  a  wooden  structure  is  necessarily  perishable  in 

[33] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


its  nature.  I  am  told  that  there  are  such  houses  in  good 
preservation  in  Continental  Europe  which  antedate  Columbus, 
and  we  all  know  of  the  Anne  Hathaway  cottage  and  other 
Shakespearean  relics  of  Stratford. 

The  wooden  house  may  be  varied  by  the  use  of  plaster, 
either  on  the  exterior  or  the  interior.  The  point  to  be 
emphasized  is  never  to  use  plaster  with  wood  as  if  the  con- 
struction were  of  masonry.  The  only  safeguard  is  to  show 
the  construction.  Houses  built  in  the  old  English  style, 
with  exposed  timbers  between  the  plaster,  are  very  pictur- 
esque. It  has  been  ascertained  that  plaster  applied  to 
wooden  laths  will  soon  fall  off,  but  when  expanded  metal  is 
used  as  a  foundation,  the  plaster  seems  to  stand  indefinitely. 
It  may  be  toned  to  some  soft,  warm  shade  with  a  perma- 
nent water-color  paint. 

There  is  another  type  of  plaster  house  much  in  vogue  in 
California  which  is  to  be  condemned  as  an  unmitigated 
sham.  This  is  the  style  which  masks  under  the  name  of 
' '  Mission ' '  architecture,  and  which  imitates  the  externals 
of  the  work  of  the  old  Spanish  missionaries  while  missing 
every  vital  element  in  their  buildings.  The  modern  struc- 
ture in  Mission  style  is  built  of  wood,  either  completely 
covered  with  plaster  or  with  exposed  wood  painted  to  imitate 
it.  Many  features  of  masonry  construction,  such  as  round 
pillars  covered  with  stucco,  arches  •  and  circular  windows, 
are  introduced.  The  construction  is  generally  slight,  but 
with  a  massive  external  appearance,  and  the  roofing  in  most 
cases  is  of  tin  tiles  painted  red.     Such  work  as  this  will  do 

[34] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

well  enough  for  a  world's  fair,  which  is  confessedly  but  a 
fleeting  show,  but  it  is  utterly  unworthy  as  the  home  of  any 
honest  man. 

The  Spanish  missionaries  did  their  work  in  adobe,  brick, 
tile  and  stone.  Much  of  it  was  covered  with  plaster  and 
whitewashed.  The  charm  of  the  low,  simple  buildings  sur- 
rounding a  court,  with  corridors  supported  by  arches 
extending  both  on  the  outside  and  inside,  can  only  be 
realized  by  one  who  has  studied  the  lovely  ruins  of  the 
Spanish  occupation,  or  better  still,  by  one  who  has  visited 
Spanish  countries.  The  glare  of  the  whitewashed  walls  is 
relieved  by  the  deep  shadows  of  the  sheltering  corridors  or 
porch  roofs,  the  soft  red  tiles  crown  the  work,  and  vines 
and  orchards,  with  fountains  and  palm  trees  in  the  court, 
make  a  beautifully  harmonious  setting.  There  is  a  romantic 
charm  about  such  architecture  and  an  historic  association 
which  California  needs  to  cherish,  but  to  mimic  it  with 
cheap  imitations  in  wood  is  unworthy  of  us.  If  we  are 
unwilling  to  take  the  pains,  or  if  we  cannot  afford  to  do  the 
work  genuinely,  let  us  not  attempt  it.  We  may  carry  out 
the  general  form  in  wood  if  we  choose,  but  let  it  then  be 
frankly  a  wooden  house,  or  a  structure  of  wood  and  plaster 
worked  out  constructively  as  such.  Furthermore,  as  I  have 
already  pointed  out,  the  climate  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  with 
its  large  percentage  of  cloudy  days,  is  not  suited  to  deep 
recessed  porches  that  cut  the  sun  from  the  first  story. 

The  use  of  plaster  as  an  interior  finish  has  been,  until 
the  last  few  years  in  California,  so  much  a  matter  of  course 

[35] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


that  I  should  have  mentioned  it  first  were  it  not  that  I 
wished  to  emphasize  the  superiority  of  the  natural  wood 
interior  for  a  wooden  house.  If  plaster  is  used,  however, 
let  it  be  with  visible  rafters.  It  may  be  toned  or  papered 
in  any  soft,  warm  shade,  but  the  use  of  a  mechanically 
printed  wall-paper  I  should  avoid  under  any  and  all  circum- 
stances. As  this  is  a  matter  which  concerns  the  furnishing 
of  the  home  more  especially,  a  fuller  discussion  of  the  point 
may  be  reserved  for  the  following  chapter. 

If  it  seems  to  any  that  too  much  of  this  discussion  has 
been  devoted  to  wood  construction,  my  answer  has  already 
been  given  —  namely,  that  most  people  cannot  afford,  at 
the  present  day,  to  build  of  any  other  material,  and  that 
consequently  a  full  consideration  of  the  principles  governing 
the  right  use  of  wood  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  immediate 
importance.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  well  to  point  out  that 
every  advance  in  the  building  of  masonry  homes  is  a  pro- 
gressive step,  since  it  makes  for  greater  stability,  lessens  the 
danger  of  fire,  and  saves  our  forests,  which  are  so  needful 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  State.  In  masonry  architecture  the 
same  fundamental  idea  should  prevail,  of  using  the  material 
in  the  manner  which  emphasizes  its  strength  and  constructive 
value.  Ornament  should  be  studied  with  the  same  care  and 
used  with  the  same  restraint  as  in  wood. 

Now  for  a  last  word  on  home  building  :  Let  the  work 
be  simple  and  genuine,  with  due  regard  to  right  proportion 
and  harmony  of  color  ;  let  it  be  an  individual  expression  of 
the  life  which  it  is  to  environ,  conceived  with  loving  care 

[36] 


THE    BUILDING    OF    THE    HOME 

for  the  uses  of  the  family.  Eliminate  in  so  far  as  possible 
all  factory-made  accessories  in  order  that  your  dwelling  may 
not  be  typical  of  American  commercial  supremacy,  but 
rather  of  your  own  fondness  for  things  that  have  been  cre- 
ated as  a  response  to  your  love  of  that  which  is  good  and 
simple  and  fit  for  daily  companionship.  Far  better  that  our 
surroundings  be  rough  and  crude  in  detail,  provided  that 
they  are  a  vital  expression  conceived  as  part  of  an  harmo- 
nious scheme,  than  that  they  be  finished  with  mechanical 
precision  and  lacking  in  genuine  character.  Beware  the 
gloss  that  covers  over  a  sham  ! 


[37] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

WHEN  the  home  is  built,  it  must  be  occupied.  It 
is  to  be  used,  lived  in,  made  a  part  and  ex- 
pression of  a  family  circle.  First  of  all,  it 
must  be  furnished,  and  the  taste  and  thought 
revealed  in  this  task  determines  in  no  small  degree  the  char- 
acter it  will  assume  and  impress  upon  its  occupants.  It  is 
therefore  of  the  first  importance  that  the  furnishing  be  done 
deliberately,  step  by  step,  piece  by  piece,  so  that  it  becomes 
a  growth  and  expression  of  the  interests  and  ideals  of  the 
family.  The  thoughts  that  I  have  endeavored  to  make 
clear  concerning  the  building  of  the  home  apply  equally  to 
its  furnishing.  Simplicity,  significance,  utility,  harmony  — 
these  are  the  watchwords  ! 

Although  the  furnishment  may  better  be  a  matter  of 
deliberate  growth  rather  than  of  immediate  completion,  it 
by  no  means  follows  that  the  work  should  be  haphazard  and 
without  plan.  On  the  contrary,  just  as  the  painter  in  creat- 
ing a  picture  may  not  know  in  advance  all  the  details  and 
subtleties  which  he  is  to  embody,  but  nevertheless  has  his 
general  composition  and  color  scheme  well  in  mind,  so 
should  he  who  fits  out  a  room  consider  in  advance  the 
underlying  idea  of  tone  and  form.  YThe  first  object  is  to 
create  an  atmosphere.  How  often  we  enter  an  apartment, 
full   of  elegant  and  beautiful  things,  in  which  there  is  no 

[38] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

continuity  of  idea,  no  central  thought  which  dominates  the 
place  !  And  when  we  come  upon  some  simple  room  about 
which  there  is  a  sense  of  rest  and  harmony,  we  do  not 
always  stop  to  analyze  the  effect  to  see  how  it  is  produced. 
We  feel  that  there  is  an  intangible  idea  back  of  all  the 
detail,  and  it  pleases  us,  although  we  know  not  why. 

As  a  rule  it  will  be  found  that  the  harmony  of  an  apart- 
ment is  determined  by  its  color  scheme.  An  illustration  of 
a  gross  violation  will  serve  to  enforce  the  point.  If  the 
window  curtains  were  of  so  bizarre  and  unassorted  a  char- 
acter that  upon  each  window  hung  a  drapery  of  a  different 
color,  some  figured,  some  striped  and  others  plain,  even  the 
most  unobservant  eye  would  detect  that  the  room  looked 
absurdly  ill  furnished.  Upon  the  substitution,  for  this 
motley  array  of  curtains,  of  some  warm,  quiet  fabric  with- 
out ornamentation,  an  appearance  of  harmony  would  at 
once  seem  dawning  upon  the  room.  But  if  the  walls  were 
of  white  plaster  or  of  some  crude  figured  wall-paper,  the 
desired  unity  would  be  but  dimly  felt.  What  a  change  is 
wrought  by  covering  the  entire  wall-space  with  a  good  warm 
color,  either  in  harmony  with  or  in  judicious  contrast  to  the 
curtains  !  It  is  the  background  of  the  picture,  the  dominant 
note  of  the  chord,  the  underlying  idea  of  the  room,  which 
needs  only  elaboration  and  accent  to  produce  a  finished 
whole. 

This  matter  of  color  scheme  is  so  fundamental  to  any 
successful  results  in  furnishing  that  it  may  be  well  to  consider 
a  little  more  in  detail  what  colors  to  use  and  what  to  avoid. 

[39] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


No  definite  and  final  rules  can  be  formulated  on  this  subject, 
for  in  the  last  analysis  taste  is  the  only  guide.  In  general, 
however,  I  should  begin  by  excluding  white.  A  large  mass 
of  white  on  the  walls  makes  a  glare  which  is  extremely 
fatiguing  to  the  eyes.  The  light  is  too  diffused  and  is  far 
more  trying  than  a  blaze  of  sunlight  streaming  through  a 
mass  of  windows.  A  similar  effect  may  be  noted  out  of 
doors  upon  a  hazy  day  when  the  sun  is  but  thinly  veiled 
behind  a  white  mist.  On  such  occasions  the  glare  is  posi- 
tively painful.  While  a  large  mass  of  white  is  thus  to  be 
avoided  for  physiological  reasons,  even  a  small  spot  of  it 
will  often  be  objectionable  from  an  artistic  point  of  view.  The 
eye  as  it  ranges  freely  about  the  room  is  unduly  arrested  by 
the  bit  of  white  which  fails  to  fit  into  its  proper  relation  with 
the  whole.  How  seldom  does  a  painter  venture  to  use 
untoned  white  in  a  picture,  and  how  carefully  he  leads  up 
to  it  when  he  does  introduce  it !  The  same  principle  applies 
to  the  color  scheme  of  a  room.  A  picture  surrounded  by  a 
white  mat  stands  out  of  all  relation  to  the  environing  walls. 
Indeed,  I  should  use  white  as  part  of  a  decorative  scheme 
only  where  the  idea  of  great  cleanliness  needs  emphasis, 
or  in  making  a  human  figure  the  culminating  note  in  the 
home  picture.  A  white  spread  for  the  dinner  table,  setting 
off  the  glint  of  silver  and  cut-glass  or  the  color  of  patterned 
dishes,  has  an  appropriateness  all  its  own,  especially  when 
the  room  is  artificially  lighted.  For  breakfast  and  lunch, 
during  the  daylight  hours,  the  bare  wood  table,  with  dishes 
upon  mats,  always  seems  to  me  more  attractive. 

[4o] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

The  next  guiding  thought,  although  any  such  may  have 
its  exceptions,  is  that  cold  colors  are  to  be  avoided  and 
warm  tones  used  instead.  Pale  blues,  grays  or  greens  are 
not  as  a  rule  cheerful,  while  buff,  brown  and  red,  or  occa- 
sionally deep  blue  or  rich  green,  are  full  of  warmth  and 
brightness.  It  is  always  safe  to  be  conservative  in  the  back- 
ground color,  and  a  neutral  tone  is  therefore  preferable  to  a 
color  aggressively  pronounced. 

It  will  now  be  apparent  why  a  wood  interior  is  so  satis^ 
factory.  The  color  of  the  natural  wood,  and  especially  of 
redwood,  makes  a  warm,  rich  and  yet  sufficiently  neutral 
background  for  the  furniture.  Some  of  our  lighter  woods, 
notably  pine  and  cedar,  may  be  stained  or  burned  to  a  dark 
tone  as  already  specified  in  the  preceding  chapter,  provided 
that  no  glazed  surface  be  put  upon  them  with  varnish  or 
polish.  A  slightly  irregular  texture  is  more  interesting  on 
a  wall  than  an  absolutely  uniform  finish.  Natural  wood  with 
its  varied  graining  is  one  of  the  most  charmingly  modulated 
surfaces.  Painted  burlap  glued  to  the  wall  makes  an  attrac- 
tive finish  on  account  of  its  coarse,  irregular  weave.  Jap- 
anese grass-cloth  has  a  similar  interest,  and  is  very  effective 
in  combination  with  gilding.  I  know  of  a  plaster  ceiling 
painted  with  liquid  gold  which  is  beautifully  harmonious  and 
elegant  in  combination  with  redwood  paneled  walls.  Rough 
plaster  may  be  toned  with  calcimine  to  any  appropriate 
shade,  while  smooth  plaster  is  better  when  covered  with 
cartridge  paper  or  with  some  plain  fabric. 

Although   many  architects  of  admirable  taste  may  not 

[4i] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


agree,  I  venture  to  suggest  the  elimination  of  figured  wall- 
paper, and  indeed  of  all  machine-figured  work  about  the 
home.  Most  papers  are  undeniably  bad  ;  a  few  are  equally 
undeniably  beautiful  in  design.  But  if  the  contention  for 
which  I  am  standing  has  any  weight  —  namely,  that  orna- 
ment should  be  used  with  reserve  and  be  studied  for  the 
particular  space  it  is  to  fill  —  then  even  an  unquestionably 
good  wall-paper  is  inappropriate  for  three  reasons, — because 
the  ornament  is  used  too  lavishly  and  indiscriminately,  be- 
cause it  cannot  be  turned  out  by  machinery  suited  to  the 
particular  wall  upon  which  it  is  to  be  imposed,  and,  further- 
more, because  it  detracts  from  any  ornament  which  may  be 
put  next  it.  A  picture  or  a  vase,  for  instance,  is  never  so 
effective  when  placed  against  a  patterned  background  as 
when  surrounded  by  a  plain  tone  of  appropriate  color. 

But  enough  of  walls  and  surfaces  !  Let  us  assume  that 
a  good  color  has  been  secured  and  in  a  soft,  unobtrusive 
texture.  Attention  may  next  be  given  to  the  draperies. 
Many  people  insist  on  window  shades  that  shoot  up  and 
down  on  rollers  —  smooth,  opaque,  characterless  things  that 
give  a  stiffness  and  mechanical  rigidity  to  the  windows. 
Curtains  hung  by  brass  rings  upon  rods  are  all-sufficient  to 
cut  out  the  sun  by  day  and  to  exclude  the  view  of  out- 
siders by  night,  and  they  are  far  more  graceful  and  soft  in 
effect.  The  only  difficulty  is  to  get  material  that  will  not 
fade  when  left  in  the  steady  glare  of  the  sun.  All  the  so- 
called  art  denims  and  burlaps  with  which  I  have  had  experi- 
ence are  so  badly  dyed  that  a  very  short  exposure  bleaches 

[42] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

them  beyond  recognition,  but  the  coarse  dark  blue  Chinese 
denim  is  very  serviceable.  The  satin-finish  burlap,  undyed, 
is  also  satisfactory  on  account  of  its  permanence.  Linen 
crash  of  an  ecru  color,  Japanese  grass-cloth,  and  some 
coarse,  simple  ecru  nets  are  most  effective.  Curtains  made 
of  fine  strips  of  bamboo  lashed  together  give  a  soft,  pleasing 
light  in  the  room,  but  do  not  completely  cut  out  the  sun. 
They  may  be  used  to  great  advantage  in  combination  with 
some  heavier  material,  such  as  colored  ticking  or  corduroy. 
Soft  leather  in  the  natural  tan  makes  elegant  and  substantial 
curtains,  but  is  rather  expensive.  Pongee  is  good,  although, 
like  all  silks,  it  rots  after  long  exposure  to  the  sun. 

In  addition  to  window  curtains,  portieres  are  often  useful 
draperies,  for  giving  privacy  to  an  alcove, /Or  between  apart- 
ments where  a  door  is  unnecessary.  1/Uriental  hangings, 
such  as  Bagdad  curtains,  if  made  with  the  old  dyes,  are 
especially  effective,  but  a  plain  chenille  curtain,  or  even  one 
of  such  coarser  material  as  burlap,  is  always  safe  if  its  color 
harmonizes  with  the  room.  When  hand-made  Oriental 
hangings  cannot  be  afforded  and  some  ornament  is  desired, 
a  conventional  decoration  in  gold  cord  can  be  stitched  to  the 
border,  or  a  little  color,  preferably  in  dark  rich  tones,  may 
be  cautiously  added  in  embroidery  or  applique. 

I  assume  that  the  floor  of  our  home  be  of  natural  wood, 
shellaced  and  waxed,  and  afterwards  polished  with  a  fric- 
tion brush.  Cleanliness,  if  not  an  aesthetic  impulse,  should 
prompt  this.  One  or  two  fine  Oriental  rugs  —  Bokharas, 
Cashmeres,   or  Persians,  for  example  —  made  with  the  old 

[43] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


dyes,  are  a  great  addition  to  any  room,  but  a  rag  carpet 
serves  as  a  passable  substitute.  It  will  hardly  be  necessary 
after  all  that  has  been  said  about  machine  ornament,  to  urge 
the  exclusion  of  all  modern  patterned  rugs  and  carpets. 
These  are  generally  characterized  by  hard,  set  designs, 
mechanically  precise,  made  in  crude  colors  that  fade  ere 
long  to  sorry-looking  tones.  Better  far  is  a  piece  of  plain 
Brussels  carpet  of  good  color. 

Having  attended  to  the  background,  and  the  window- 
curtains,  portieres  and  rugs  in  harmonizing  tones,  with  here 
and  there  a  note  of  accent  or  of  contrast,  if  this  be  skilfully 
managed,  the  atmosphere  of  the  room  is  established.  It 
now  remains  to  introduce  the  furniture.  Much  of  this  can 
be  built  in  to  the  special  places  designed  for  it.  Still  the 
restraint  in  ornament  should  be  kept  steadily  in  mind.  The 
first  essential  of  the  furniture  is  good,  simple  design  and 
thorough-going  workmanship, — no  veneer,  no  paint  or 
varnish,  no  decorations  stuck  on  to  give  the  piece  a  finish, 
but  plain,  honest,  straightforward  work  ! 

The  kinds  of  furniture  which  most  readily  lend  them- 
selves to  being  built  permanently  into  the  house  are  window- 
and  fireplace-seats,  book-shelves,  and  sideboards.  The 
seats  can  be  made  quite  plain,  and  if  hinged  serve  the  addi- 
tional purpose  of  store  chests.  Book-shelves  call  for"  little 
or  no  ornament,  although  the  end  boards  may  be  massive 
and  carved  if  desired.  There  is  much  opportunityTor 
making  the  sideboard  picturesque,  with  paneled  or  leaded- 
glass    doors,    attached    with    ornamental    strap    hinges    of 

[44] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

wrought  iron  or  hammered  brass.  The  arrangement  of 
shelves  and  cupboards  in  a  sideboard  gives  great  scope  for 
effective  design. 

With  such  pieces  built  in,  and  with  a  good  tone  to  the 
rooms  accented  by  rugs,  portieres  and  curtains,  the  home 
begins  to  assume  a  furnished  aspect,  and  it  is  easy  now  to 
see  what  is  needed  and  what  will  harmonize.  Furniture 
made  to  order  by  a  cabinet-maker,  or  even  by  a  good  car- 
penter, will  be  found  of  especial  interest  if  simple  models 
are  followed.  In  the  furniture  as  in  the  house  itself  it  is 
well  to  emphasize  the  construction.  Panels  held  together 
with  double  dove-tailed  blocks,  joints  secured  with  pegs, 
and  tenons  let  through  mortises  and  held  with  wedges,  are 
always  evidences  of  good  honest  workmanship. 

As  to  the  design  of  such  furniture,  straight  lines  express- 
ing the  construction  and  utility  in  the  most  natural  manner 
are  safest,  and  only  an  experienced  artist  can  safely  deviate 
from  such.  There  are  a  few  exceptions,  however,  which  are 
not  only  justifiable  but  often  desirable.  A  round  top  for  a 
dining-table  is  very  pleasing  on  account  of  the  feeling  of 
equality  of  all  who  sit  about  it.  It  seems  in  a  way  more 
sociable  than  a  table  with  a  head  and  foot.  A  small  square 
table  can  be  made  with  two  or  more  round  tops  of  different 
sizes  which  fit  down  upon  it,  to  be  used  as  occasion  requires. 
While  a  chair  with  square  legs  is  massive  and  dignified  in 
effect,  the  rounded  legs  give  lightness  and  grace.  A  light 
and  very  inexpensive  chair  which  might  well  be  in  more 
general  use  in  California  is  the  simple  form  made  with  strips 

[45] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


u 


of  rawhide  for  a  seat.  It  is  a  relic  of  the  mission  days,  I 
believe,  and  is  thoroughly  appropriate  to  the  style  of  house 
we  are  contemplating.  Rush-bottom  square-post  chairs  are 
substantial,  comfortable  and  most  harmonious  in  the  simple 
room.  I  A  chair  with  the  seat  sloping  backward  and  with 
fThe  back  at  right  angles  to  the  seat  is  more  comfortable  than 
one  with  the  seat  parallel  to  the  floor,  which  makes  one  sit 
bolt  upright.  Italian  chairs  carved  of  black  walnut  have  a 
grace  and  elegance  that  give  a  touch  of  luxury  to  the  most 
unpretentious  home. 

""It  would  be  possible  to  consider  furniture  in  endless 
detail,  but  my  object  is  rather  to  get  at  certain  principles 
and  ideals  that  will  form  a  basis  for  working  out  the  minutics 
according  to  individual  taste.  The  chest  is  a  good  old- 
fashioned  piece  of  furniture  that  may  well  be  revived.  Any 
good,  well-made  hinged  boxes,  and  especially  those  of  white 
cedar  and  the  Chinese  camphor-wood  chests,  are  useful  and 
attractive.  The  Chinese  chests  are  covered  with  an  ugly 
varnish  which  can  be  removed  with  strong  lye,  carefully 
rubbed  on  with  a  stout  swab.  Chests  covered  with  leather 
and  bound  in  brass  are  very  elegant  when  they  can  be 
afforded.  Wood-boxes  near  the  fireplace  may  be  left  plain, 
or  stained,  carved  or  burned  in  ornamental  designs.  In  a 
large  room  screens  can  be  used  to  advantage.  They  may 
be  made  of  big  simple  panels  of  wood,  or  of  leather,  either 
plain  or  ornamented  with  burning  and  coloring. 

Chinese  teak-wood  furniture  is  generally  good  in  design 
and  may  be  had  very  richly  carved.     Old-fashioned  mahog- 

[46] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 


any  bedsteads,  bureaus  and  chairs  are  often  beautifully- 
simple  in  their  lines  and  appropriate  to  the  setting  I  have 
endeavored  to  picture.  Oak  furniture  is  now  obtainable 
made  in  the  ' '  old  mission ' '  style,  which  is  so  good  in  form 
and  workmanship  that  it  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 

The  various  handicrafts  are  brought  into  play  in  the 
furnishing  of  the  home.  Metal  work  is  as  indispensable  as 
wood  work,  and  again  the  same  general  principles  should 
govern  selection — good  work,  good  form,  simple  design. 
The  plainest  are  the  safest.  Locks,  catches  and  fixtures  of 
black  iron,  or  of  solid  brass  without  ornament,  are  sure  to 
be  unobjectionable.  The  andirons  may  also  be  plain,  or 
they  may  be  ornamented  as  richly  as  taste  suggests,  pro- 
vided the  work  be  hand-wrought. 

I  have  often  been  asked  if  the  use  of  electric  lights  in  a 
house  which  thus  emphasizes  the  handicrafts  was  not  out  of 
harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  place.  Personally,  I  am 
fond  of  candles  in  brass,  bronze  or  silver  candlesticks,  but 
the  light  is  neither  strong  nor  steady  enough  to  satisfy  the 
practical  needs.  I  have  found  the  pleasantest  results  in 
lighting  to  be  attained  by  the  use  of  electric  lights  subdued 
by  lanterns.  If  the  electric  bulbs  are  suspended  some  six 
or  eight  inches  from  the  wall  on  brackets,  they  may  hang  as 
low  as  desired  without  being  in  the  way.  Various  types  of 
Chinese,  Japanese  and  Moorish  lanterns  can  be  found  which 
give  a  soft,  pleasing  light  and  are  very  decorative.  Old 
brass  and  bronze  lanterns  are  the  most  beautiful,  but  many 
simpler   and   less  costly  substitutes  will   be   discovered   by 

[47] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


those  who  search  in  our  Oriental  bazaars.  Good  lamps  with 
artistic  shades  are  hard  to  find,  but  there  is  an  improvement 
in  these  to  be  noted  which  promises  better  things  ere  long. 
Covers  for  gas  and  oil-stoves  made  of  sheet  brass  riveted 
into  cylinders  and  ornamented  according  to  the  skill  and 
ingenuity  of  the  maker  would  be  a  most  acceptable  addition 
to  our  furniture. 

To  write  of  vases  and  other  pottery  would  call  for  one 
or  more  separate  chapters,  but  a  hint  or  two  may  not  be  out 
of  place.  At  the  risk  of  repetition  I  would  say  again  that 
unless  the  ornament  be  unquestionably  fine,  do  with  none 
at  all.  Chinese  ginger  jars,  earthenware  pots,  Italian  wine 
flasks  with  straw  casings,  are  all  better  than  showy  vases 
that  are  not  good  in  color,  form  or  workmanship.  The 
Japanese  and  Chinese  are  the  master  potters,  and  if  the 
detestable  stuff  which  they  manufacture  for  the  American 
trade  be  eliminated,  their  work  is  generally  good  and  often 
exquisitely  beautiful.  Much  excellent  pottery  is  now  made 
in  our  own  country,  and  the  number  of  genuinely  refined 
and  simple  wares  is  constantly  increasing,  showing  a  grad- 
ual elevation  of  taste  among  our  people. 

Of  other  useful  ornaments  may  be  mentioned  bellows, 
South  Sea  Island  fans,  baskets,  especially  those  of  our  own 
misused  Indians,  and  hanging  Japanese  baskets  for  plants. 
Potted  plants  add  a  touch  of  life  and  color  which  cannot  be 
otherwise  given  to  a  room.  Masses  of  books  have  an  orna- 
mental value  which  is  heightened  by  the  idea  of  culture  of 
which  they  are  the  embodiment. 

[48] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

It  remains  now  to  consider  only  the  purely  non-utilitarian 
ornament  —  statues,  pictures  and  wall  decorations.  Since 
most  dwellers  in  simple  homes  cannot  afford  great  works 
of  art,  they  must  enjoy  these  in  museums,  and  for  their 
homes  content  themselves  with  reproductions.  Plaster  casts 
toned  to  a  soft  creamy  shade  and  surfaced  with  wax  are,  if 
well  chosen,  a  most  effective  form  of  ornament. 

The  pictures  a  man  selects  to  hang  upon  his  wall  are  a 
perpetual  witness  of  his  degree  of  culture.  They  are  ever 
present  as  an  unconscious  factor  in  shaping  our  lives  and 
thought.  They  serve  no  useful  purpose  and  have  no  mean- 
ing except  as  they  bring  before  us  something  of  the  ideal. 
The  test  of  a  good  picture  is  its  inexhaustible  quality,  both  of 
form  and  of  content ;  but  time  alone  can  make  this  test.  When 
the  work  of  a  master  has  been  handed  down  through  centu- 
ries, when  it  has  been  copied  and  scrutinized  and  criticized  by 
generations  and  still  holds  its  place,  we  may  be  sure  that  it 
contains  something  that  will  enrich  our  lives.  If  the  world 
has  lived  with  it  for  ages,  it  needs  must  profit  us  to  dwell  in 
its  sight.  We  cannot  have  the  original  picture,  but  a  photo- 
graph giving  all  but  its  color  may  be  obtained  for  a  mere 
trifle.  Thus  our  walls  may  be  graced  with  the  thought  of 
Botticelli,  Leonardo,  Raphael  and  Michael  Angelo,  just  as 
readily  as  with  the  commonplace  work  that  so  often  passes 
current  for  genuine  art.  When' we  have  lived  with  the 
masters  for  years,  and  have  absorbed  their  message,  then  we 
may  trust  ourselves  to  test  the  work  of  the  moderns  in  the 
light  of  the  insight  we  have  gained  from  their  predecessors. 

[49] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


It  may  be  urged  that  we  want  color  on  our  walls,  and 
that  tinted  casts  and  photographs  of  the  masterpieces  fail 
to  give  this.  In  vain  I  point  to  the  Oriental  rugs,  the 
colored  curtains,  the  green  of  the  potted  plants  —  still  the 
demand  for  colored  pictures  must  be  satisfied,  and  this  with- 
out great  cost.  If  one  really  loves  form  and  color  for  them- 
selves, I  know  of  but  one  means  of  satisfying  this  ade- 
quately and  inexpensively.  Japanese  prints  are  seldom 
great  in  idea,  and  they  therefore  miss  the  highest  quality  of 
art  expression,  but  for  delicacy  and  subtlety  of  coloring  and 
grace  of  form  they  are  unexcelled.  A  few  prints  selected 
with  discrimination  and  simply  framed  will  give  just  the 
touch  of  accidental  color  which  the  room  seems  to  require. 

California  has  harbored  a  number  of  painters  of  excep- 
tional ability,  and  those  who  can  afford  original  paintings  by 
our  best  local  artists  need  not  go  abroad  for  their  pictures. 
America  has  produced  but  one  Keith,  and  his  work  has  been 
done  in  San  Francisco. 

Many  of  our  artists  are  now  looking  toward  decorative 
work  as  a  field  of  activity,  instead  of  confining  their  attention 
to  easel  pictures,  and  this  is  a  most  wholesome  change.  A 
decorative  frieze  or  a  set  piece  designed  to  occupy  a  given 
space  in  a  room,  and  conceived  in  harmony  with  its  setting, 
is  apt  to  be  far  more  effective  than  a  number  of  small 
detached  pictures  scattered  at  random  about  the  walls. 

A  word  on  framing  pictures  and  our  cursory  survey  of 
house  furnishing  must  come  to  an  end.  The  old-fashioned 
idea  seemed  to  be  that  a  picture  was  merely  an  excuse  for 

[5o] 


THE    FURNISHING    OF    THE    HOME 

displaying  an  elaborate  frame.  Now  people  have  come  to 
realize  that  the  frame  is  nothing  but  the  border  of  the  pic- 
ture. Here  again  a  simple  form  is  always  safe.  A  plain, 
finely  finished  surface  without  ornamentation  is  never  out  of 
place.  In  choosing  the  color  of  a  frame,  the  middle  tone 
of  the  picture  is  the  best  guide.  Thus  in  framing  a  brown 
photograph,  a  brown  mat  intermediate  in  tone  between  the 
high  lights  and  the  deepest  shadows  will  probably  be  found 
most  effective.  The  wood  is  least  obtrusive  if  toned  to 
match  the  mat  or  just  a  shade  darker.  Photographs  look 
well  framed  in  wood  without  a  mat,  but  with  a  fine  line  of 
gold  next  the  picture.  Gold  frames  are  scarcely  in  keeping 
with  a  simple  home,  but  if  used  should  be  of  the  finest 
workmanship  and  the  most  chaste  design.  They  are,  as 
a  rule,  inappropriate  except  on  oil  paintings,  although  a  gold 
mat  with  simple  gold  border  occasionally  looks  well  on  a 
water-color. 

I  know  it  is  not  safe  to  lay  down  the  law  where  matters 
of  taste  are  involved,  but  my  excuse  must  be  that  it  is  better 
to  convey  a  definite  impression,  even  though  it  be  a  narrow 
one,  rather  than  to  be  so  broad  that  all  concreteness  vanishes 
in  glittering  generalities.  Many  types  of  homes  may  be 
good  and  beautiful  which  do  not  come  within  the  compass  of 
this  sketch.  I  have  tried  only  to  give  some  tangible  expres- 
sion of  my  own  conception  of  the  simple  home,  trusting  that 
the  practical  hints  embodied  may  be  the  means  of  showing 
some  people  who  have  felt  the  need  of  more  artistic  sur- 
roundings a  tolerably  secure  means  of  attaining  them. 

[5i] 


HOME    LIFE 

THE  very  planning,  building,  and  furnishing  of  such 
a  home  as  I  have  endeavored  to  describe  will 
prove  a  powerful  incentive  toward  a  simpler  and 
more  significant  family  life.  Take  the  one  item 
of  pictures,  for  example.  If  the  selection  of  these  involves 
a  preliminary  study  of  the  history  of  art,  and  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  aims  and  ideals  of  the  great  masters,  what  a 
step  in  culture  will  have  been  achieved  !  And  in  surround- 
ings of  simple  dignity,  light  and  flippant  music  will  soon 
appear  vulgar  and  inopportune.  Ephemeral  ragtime  airs 
will  yield  precedence  to  Schumann  and  Chopin,  to  Beethoven 
and  Bach.  Poetry  will  be  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of  such 
a  home,  and  Keats  and  Shelley  will  not  be  forgotten. 

A  superficial  liking  for  aesthetic  things  may  be  accompa- 
nied with  the  most  trifling  of  dilettantism,  and  have  no  effect 
in  deepening  spiritual  life,  but  a  real  understanding  or  even 
a  resolute  effort  to  understand  and  sympathize  with  the  ideal 
of  beauty  must  of  necessity  strengthen  and  enrich  the  soul 
of  man.  Gradually  the  dweller  in  the  simple  home  will 
come  to  ponder  upon  the  meaning  of  art,  and  will  awaken 
to  that  illuminating  insight  that  all  art  is  a  form  of  service 
inspired  by  love.  It  will  then  become  apparent  how  truly 
the  home  is  the  real  art  center.  The  great  Christian 
painters  have  chosen  for  the  theme  of  their  noblest  works 

[52] 


HOME    LIFE 


the  divine  mother  looking  with  adoration  upon  her  child. 
And  what  mother  has  not  the  halo  of  divinity  about  her  as 
she  bends  with  loving  solicitude  above  the  helpless  life  that 
is  to  be  made  or  marred  by  the  power  she  exercises  over  it. 
We  hear  much  in  these  days  of  race  suicide,  but  the  menace 
comes  not  from  those  who  love  their  homes.  It  is  only 
amongst  those  for  whom  the  feverish  pleasures  of  the  world 
outweigh  the  simple  joys  of  the  hearthstone  that  this 
danger  exists. 


jfev 


In  the  thought  of  service  lies  the  salvation  of  the  race 
as  of  the  individual,  and  in  the  simple  home,  service  comes 
so  naturally.  Service  is  love  realized  in  activity.  The  very 
mark  which  distinguishes  love  from  lust  is  this  same  service 
—  this  willingness  to  objectify  faith  in  work,  to  share  tasks, 
to  lighten  the  burdens  of  another.  As  love  is  the  end  of 
life,  so  is  service  the  test  and  sign  of  love. 

What  is  the  home  but  a  temple  consecrated  to  love, 
where  the  form  of  worship  is  service?  And  the  woman  is 
the  high  priestess,  the  one  who  makes  the  supreme  sacrifice, 
the  one  who  has  the  supreme  reward.  The  idea  of  woman's 
rights  becomes  insignificant  in  the  face  of  this  great  privi- 
lege of  service.  But  the  woman  must  be  fitted  for  the 
service  —  the  higher  the  service  the  more  complete  the 
training.  Higher  education  is  a  matter  of  course  for  the 
woman  of  whom  we  are  to  expect  higher  service.  And 
what  higher  service  does  life  afford  than  the  molding  of  the 
plastic  mind  of  the  child,  the  expanding  of  the  soul's  hori- 
zon,  the  developing  of  character,  the  leading,   by  precept 

[53] 


THE    SIMPLE    HOME 


and  example,   of  the  human   spirit   up  the  height  of  Sinai 
where  it  may  stand  in  the  presence  of  its  God. 

Not  alone  in  the  relation  of  parents  to  offspring,  but  in 
all  the  associations  of  family  life  is  this  touchstone  of  service 
illuminating.  The  relations  of  children  to  one  another  and 
to  the  home  are  exalted  by  it.  The  duties  of  the  servant 
are  no  longer  those  of  a  drudge  when  elevated  to  the  dignity 
of  participation  in  family  service  and  in  the  advancement 
and  joy  of  home  life.  And  the  mistress  also  has  a  duty  of 
service  toward  her  helper  which  is  not  discharged  by  the 
payment  of  certain  sums  of  money  —  a  duty  to  aid  in  light- 
ening the  tasks,  in  making  the  work  more  rational,  more 
interesting,  more  orderly,  and  in  making  the  leisure  more 
joyous,  more  profitable  toward  attaining  the  ends  of  refine- 
ment and  humanity. 

Of  all  reforms  needed  in  the  life  of  the  home,  that  of  the 
relation  of  the  man  to  his  family  is  most  pressing.  Modern 
materialism  demands  of  far  too  many  men  an  unworthy 
sacrifice.  That  the  wife  and  children  may  live  in  ostenta- 
tion the  man  must  be  a  slave  to  business,  rushing  and 
jostling  with  the  crowd  in  the  scramble  for  wealth.  A  sim- 
pler standard  of  living  will  give  him  more  time  for  art  and 
culture,  more  time  for  his  family,  more  time  to  live. 

The  day  is  ripe  for  the  general  adoption  of  this  idea  of 
the  simple  home.  People  are  growing  weary  of  shams  and 
are  longing  for  reality.  They  will  never  get  it  till  they 
learn  that  the  ideal  is  the  real,  that  beauty  is  truth,  and  that 
love  is  the  inspiration  for  beauty.      Let  those  who  would  see 

[54] 


HOME    LIFE 


a  higher  culture  in  California,  a  deeper  life,  a  nobler 
humanity,  work  for  the  adoption  of  the  simple  home  among 
all  classes  of  people,  trusting  that  the  inspiration  of  its  mute 
walls  will  be  a  ceaseless  challenge  to  all  who  dwell  within 
their  shadow,  for  beauty  and  character. 


[55] 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


QL  -OCT  1«  1998 


01 


jfie^t9!9» 


ii  mini  nil  mi  mm  i 


3  1158  01062  7999 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

milium 


A  A      000176  046 


IliilB! 

=!!§!: 

lllHHll          iBSii 

University 

Southe: 

Libra: 


-----.---.-      -   -  r-  ::::■  : -_  -. 


-  -  -  ;  - 


-" 


